Basic Wound Care and Dressing
Wrapping the torso involves the use of stretch gauze. This is a size 10 stretch gauze for the torso. It is being measured for this particular patient. To determine where the arms will be on the stretch gauze, it is placed on the patient in the area where the half moons are made it is…
As a plastic surgeon, my success rate is high for closing wounds. Early in my practice I reviewed my success in wound care and found out that nearly 70% of the wound referred to me were closed without the need of major surgical procedures. If I performed a simple surgical procedure, it was often simple…
The characteristics of a good dressing include the following: Professional appearance Stationary at rest and allow for movement of the joints Functional Allow for medicinal application Layered Provide firmness Applied from distal to proximal The first impression others will have about a dressing is it’s appearance. What would a reaction be to a dressing that…
When the patient is ready for surgery or in-office care, the technical skills of the surgeon and the surgical team come into play. Surgery upon wounds may include debridement, which is the surgical cleansing of the wound, primary closure, skin grafts, skin flaps, muscle flaps, or free flaps. While in-office care may include debridement and simple closure.
Preoperatively, the patient is prepared for surgery. This is the history and physical examination, the HNP. The HNP is the physicians greatest ally. The HNP consists of the history of present illness, past medical history, past surgical history, current medicines, allergies, family history, social history, review of systems, and the physical examination itself. Knowing the current…