Wound Care Q&A
When treating patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD), it is vital to ensure proper referrals to trusted vascular specialists. These expert panelists discuss what information to include in referrals and how to manage wounds until patients can see vascular specialists.
Q:
Once you diagnose PAD, what is your referral method to other medical doctors and vascular specialists?
A:
Early... Read More.
With increasing numbers of elderly patients and patients with diabetes, clinicians will encounter more and more patients with wounds and ischemic legs. In the United States, an estimated 8 million patients, or approximately 12 percent of the adult population, have peripheral arterial disease (PAD).1 Accordingly, our expert panelists discuss pertinent diagnostic tips, appropriate referrals and how... Read More.
Skin grafts and skin substitutes can play key roles in facilitating lower extremity wound healing. Accordingly, these authors share their thoughts on the preparation and application of these modalities, and provide keys to effective post-op care.
Q: Do you have any preference to “living cell” skin substitutes, other skin substitutes and graft replacements?
A: Kazu Suzuki, DPM, CWS, uses various... Read More.
Skin substitutes, which are also called bioengineered alternative tissues (BAT), are becoming more commonly used to help facilitate wound closure. Accordingly, our expert panelists discuss indications for these modalities and the timing of their use. They also weigh the benefits of skin substitutes versus skin grafts.
Q:
What is an appropriate wound condition for applying a skin substitute?
A:... Read More.
Lower extremity compression can be very effective for reducing edema. These expert panelists discuss the use of compression hose and how compression pumps can be an alternative for patients who cannot wear the hosiery. They also discuss appropriate consults to lymphedema and vascular therapists.
Q:
Do you prescribe compression hose for patients with edema?
A:
Kazu Suzuki, DPM, CWS, frequently... Read More.
Edema is a major impediment to proper and timely wound healing. Accordingly, our expert panelists discuss how to work up and manage lower extremity wounds with edema, and share their insights on effective compression bandages.
Q:
What is the basic assessment and workup that you do with patients with leg edema?
A:
Kazu Suzuki, DPM, CWS, says clinicians often cannot pinpoint a single cause for... Read More.
When it comes to patients with wounds, medications and supplements may help abate the pain and spur healing. These expert panelists discuss key considerations with the use of supplements and pharmaceuticals for wound pain and neuropathic wounds.
Q: What medications or supplements do you use for wound pain?
A: For Kazu Suzuki, DPM, CWS, appropriate wound debridement and applying a moist wound... Read More.
There are a variety of advanced treatment options that can help expedite wound healing. Accordingly, these expert panelists offer insights on the use of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) and growth factors, and the emergence of stem cell therapy.
Q: Do you have any pearls in prescribing NPWT?
A: Lawrence Lavery, DPM, cites NPWT as one of his standard... Read More.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) can be a valuable adjunctive treatment for patients with various types of wounds. These expert panelists discuss their indications for HBOT, their treatment protocol and barriers to the use of HBOT.
Q: Do you use HBOT for your wound patients and what are the indications?
A: As Caroline E. Fife, MD, explains,... Read More.
Whether it is dealing with recalcitrant wounds, choosing appropriate empiric antibiotics for infected wounds or weighing the benefits of palliative care, our expert panelists offer their perspectives on a wide range of wound care issues.
Q:
When would you consider obtaining a wound culture and prescribing antibiotics? What is your empiric oral antibiotic of... Read More.
What steps can one take to treat a wound that has not responded after a certain period of treatment? Our expert panelists discuss guidelines for assessing the efficacy of standard therapy, keys to addressing nutrition deficiencies and considerations for modifying the treatment regimen.
Q: What is the timeline to modify the wound treatment when the wound is not... Read More.
Offloading a wound is a critical component of facilitating optimal outcomes with healing. Accordingly, these expert panelists discuss the use of total contact casting (TCC) to offload diabetic neuropathic wounds as well as the impact of instant total contact casting (iTCC) and other offloading methods.
Q: As far as offloading devices go for diabetic/... Read More.
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