Periwound maceration skin management strategies using a skin barrier film on diabetic foot ulcers

Alexandra Freitas

      In the diabetic foot, loss of autonomic nerve supply can alter the vascular perfusion and nerve supply of the skin. This affects the integrity of the skin and its resistance to mechanical and chemical trauma from pressure and wound exudate (Faber et al, 1993). Maceration is a common problem, particularly in the management of chronic wounds (Thomas, 1997). Moreover, diabetic foot ulceration continues to be synonymous with delayed healing, higher infection rates and an increased risk of lower-extremity amputation (Frykberg, 1998). Several factors can affect the local wound environment in diabetic foot ulceration, such as hyperglycaemia, macrovascular and microvascular disease, polyneuropathy, and impaired host immunological defence (Kamal et al, 1996). Maceration of the wound bed and surrounding skin in diabetic foot ulceration may be one of the least well-recognised factors contributing to impaired healing (Cullum et al, 2000). The impact of maceration on skin integrity, and its traditionally poor management and frequency, make it an obvious contender for inclusion as a risk factor in wound care (Cutting and White, 2002b). However, there is little research on the possible implications of maceration in diabetic foot ulceration (Bale et al, 2001). The aims of wound management are to address patient concerns, correct intrinsic and extrinsic factors where possible, and optimise the healing environment. It is also essential to include the periwound margins as an integral part of wound assessment (Cutting and White, 2002a).

Citation: Freitas A (2022) Periwound maceration skin management strategies using a skin barrier film on diabetic foot ulcers. The Diabetic Foot Journal 25(3): 34–41

Key words: - Barrier Film - Diabetic foot ulcer - Maceration - Periwound protection - Skin management

This article is sponsored by Medicareplus International

Authors

Alexandra Freitas, Clinical Nurse Advisor, Medicareplus International, London

The prevention of medical-device related pressure ulcers in a Critical Care Unit

This article explores medical-device related pressure ulcers (MDRPU) in an intensive care unit (ICU) at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust (RUH). The data presented outlines a reduction in PU of 66% over a 6-year period and a reduction in MDRPU of 50% over the same period. MDRPU were particularly challenging to prevent in ICU during the COVID-19 pandemic, where there were additional numbers of patients in the ICU with medical devices in place. Additionally, during the COVID-19 pandemic, an increased number of patients in the ICU were nursed prone (face down), adding additional pressure on the facial structure, a range of measures were put in place to avoid those avoidable MDRPU in the ICU at the RUH. Measures focused on skin checking, offloading and rotation of devices, including endotracheal tubes, non-invasive ventilation, nasogastric (NG) and nasojejunal (NJ) tubes and catheters. A specific comfort and pressure care record was developed for ICU to record the assessments of these at risk areas.

KEY WORDS Pressure ulcer  Device-related  pressure ulcer  DRPU Medical-device related pressure ulcers

NICOLA HEYWOOD Tissue Viability Nurse Specialist, Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust.

STEPHANIE WORTHINGTON Tissue Viability Nurse and Critical Care Sister, Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust.

MICHAELA ARROWSMITH  Lead Tissue Viability Nurse,Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust. 

MARGI JENKINS Matron, Critical Care Services, Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust.

LAURA HERRING  Tissue Viability Nursing Assistant, Royal United Hospitals NHS Foundation

Use of Granulox, a topical haemoglobin spray, to ‘kick start’ the healing of a static pressure ulcer

      Pressure ulcers (PU) are caused when persistent pressure and/or friction/shear force is applied to an area of skin, generally over bony prominences, e.g., heel, trochanter, and sacrum, sufficient to impair the blood supply (National Health Service (NHS) Improvement, 2018; European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (EPUAP), National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel (NPIAP), and Pan Pacific Pressure Injury Alliance (PPPIA), 2019). PUs are characterised on a severity scale that ranges from discoloured skin to open wounds with exposed underlying muscle and bone (NPUAP, 2017). Those at risk for the development of a PU are people that are unable to move regularly, especially the critically ill, the elderly, or anyone with a lack of sensory perception, e.g., spinal cord injury or neurological impairment. In addition, the condition of the soft tissue and its microclimate, as well as the nutrition status and comorbidities of the patient, can influence PU formation (NPUAP, 2017). Once a PU has developed, especially if it proves hard-to-heal, it can significantly impact on the quality of life of the patient. Patients report that their emotional, mental, physical, and social wellbeing is affected, especially when an PU proves hard to manage and fails to heal (Gorecki et al, 2012). Therefore, it is imperative that patients are provided with a comprehensive PU treatment plan that ensures the best possible healing outcome for the patient, with the best economic outcome for the healthcare provider.

KEY WORDS Chronic wounds Granulox Haemoglobin Hard-to-heal wounds Pressure ulcer

KATIE JEFFREY Development Community Tissue Viability Nurse, HCRG Care Group, North Kent, Sittingbourne Community Hospital, Sittingbourne, UK

Use of collagenase and hyaluronic acid ointment in treating chronic wounds: a case series

Abstract: This case series investigates the recovery of chronic wounds treated with hyaluronic acid-collagenase (Hyalo4® Start), which facilitates enzymatic debridement, helping prepare the wound bed for healing and closure on top of first-line therapy. We recruited 15 patients with different underlying comorbidities who consented to participate in the case study. Selection criteria include patients with chronic wounds classified as Class 2 and Class 3 according to Harikrishna Periwound Skin Classification (HPSC). Treatment duration varied. The study observed a minimal to 100% reduction in wound size, notably diminished exudate excretion, healthy wound edge, and lower pain score as Hyalo4® Start was applied as part of standard care.

Key words:

■ Chronic wounds ■ Collagenase ■ Hard-to-heal wounds ■ Harikrishna Periwound Skin Classification ■ Hyaluronic acid

Harikrishna K. R. Nair, MD FRCPI FRCPE FCWCS Wound Care Unit, Dept of Internal Medicine, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia;

Puteri Nur Athirah, MD, Wound Care Unit, Dept of Internal Medicine, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

基于红外热像仪恢复期偏瘫患者下肢健侧和患 侧差异分析

张晓嫚，满 喜*

内蒙古师范大学体育学院，运动生物力学实验室，内蒙古 呼和浩特

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收稿日期：2021年1月25日；录用日期：2021年2月28日；发布日期：2021年3月9日

文章引用: 张晓嫚, 满喜. 基于红外热像仪恢复期偏瘫患者下肢健侧和患侧差异分析[J]. 体育科学进展, 2021, 9(1): 1-9. DOI: 10.12677/aps.2021.91001

摘 要

目的：观察偏瘫患者下肢健侧与患侧的温度差异，并且分析可能导致出现这种差异现象的原因，提出相应的解决方法，为偏瘫患者的临床护理与治疗提供一定的理论支持和专业指导。方法：本文将应用ATIR-M301红外热像仪采集47名偏瘫患者下肢健侧和患侧的温度图像，并应用ATIR-M301红外热像仪自带的温度图像分析软件对偏瘫患者下肢的温度图像进行分析，得出数据，并对采集的数据进行统计学检验。结果：偏瘫患者下肢健侧温度与患侧温度比较有统计学意义(P < 0.05)。结论：偏瘫患者下肢健侧温度与患侧温度有差异，患侧温度比健侧温度低1℃~1.5℃。

关键词

红外热像仪，偏瘫，患侧温度，健侧温度，差异对比

Based on the Difference and Analysis between the Healthy Side and the Affected Side of the Lower Extremity of Patients with Hemiplegia during Convalescence by Infrared Thermography

Xiaoman Zhang, Xi Man*

Lab of Sports Biomechanics, Institute of Physical Education, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot Inner Mongolia

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Received: Jan. 25th, 2021; accepted: Feb. 28th, 2021; published: Mar. 9th, 2021

Abstract

Objective: To observe the temperature difference between the healthy side and the affected side of the lower limbs of patients with hemiplegia, and analyze the possible causes of this difference, and propose the corresponding solutions, so as to provide certain theoretical support and professional guidance for the clinical nursing and treatment of patients with hemiplegia. Methods: In this paper, ATIR-M301 infrared thermal imager was used to collect the temperature images of the healthy side and the affected side of the lower limbs of 47 patients with hemiplegia, and the temperature image analysis software of ATIR-M301 infrared thermal imager was used to analyze the temperature images of the lower limbs of patients with hemiplegia, obtain the data, and conduct statistical test on the collected data. Results: The comparison between the healthy side temperature and the affected side temperature of the lower limbs in patients with hemiplegia was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: In the patients with hemiplegia lower temperature and with the contralateral side temperature difference, the same temperature is lower than the contralateral temperature 1˚C~1.5˚C.

Keywords

Infrared Thermal Imager, Hemiplegia, Affected Side Temperature, Healthy Side Temperature, Differences in Contrast

Copyright © 2021 by author(s) and Hans Publishers Inc.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY 4.0). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The Mental Health Implications of a Local Epidemic: Early Experience with the COVID-19 Outbreak in Wuhan, China

Feiyi Zhang1, Yijia Jessica Li2, Limei Zhou3, Lepei Gao3, Hong Li3, Le Qi4, Fahui Yang3*

1 Youth League Committee of Southwest University, Chongqing, China

2 Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada

3 Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China

4 Chongqing City Management College, Chongqing, China

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How to cite this paper: Zhang, F., Li, Y. J., Zhou, L., Gao, L., Li, H., Qi, L., & Yang, F. (2021). The Mental Health Implications of a Local Epidemic: Early Experience with the COVID-19 Outbreak in Wuhan, China. Psychology, 12, 107-119. https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2021.121007

Received: December 17, 2020

Accepted: January 18, 2021

Published: January 21, 2021

Copyright © 2021 by author(s) and Scientific Research Publishing Inc. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY 4.0). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Abstract

Purpose: This article presents national survey data related to the mental health of participants (N = 13,824) from every province in the People’s Republic of China, in the period of early February, during the early days of the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. The goal was to examine stress and anxiety levels, even as the virus was spreading across the country. This goal was facilitated by data collected specifically from Wuhan city, which was the geographical epicenter of the outbreak, Hubei, the province in which Wuhan is located, and the rest of China.

Methods: The survey included a series of validated measures of mental health, as well as measured constructs such as stress and anxiety, depression, sleep, workplace wellness and social cohesion. To the extent possible, the measures had been previously validated in China and were available in Simplified Chinese, although some measures were created for the unique characteristics of the viral outbreak. The survey was distributed electronically through a network of researchers.

Results: The measures were generally reliable, with expected inter-correlations. The factor structure of the Symptom Checklist-90 items was generally consistent with its conceptual dimensions. Mostly importantly, the study revealed a gradient of mental health outcomes, with participants from the city of Wuhan having the highest scores on most mental health measures, with the great Hubei province similar or slightly lower, and the rest of China having elevated, but lower scores on most outcomes. Sleep disturbance also revealed a similar gradient, with participants in the epicenter reporting the most sleep disturbance.

Discussion: These results reveal the ability to capture the mental health of citizens during a viral outbreak, and the sensitivity of measures to the mental challenges such an outbreak brings. The gradient of responses revealed the spreading effect of the COVID-19 outbreak, and suggests that worse mental health is highly likely to be an outcome as a pandemic spreads. These results suggest that health officials need to attend to not only the physical and direct effects of a viral pandemic, but also to the importance of the mental health of their citizens. 

Keywords: Mental Health, Local Epidemic, COVID-19, Wuhan