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  Skin tears are traumatic wounds caused by a separation of the epidermis and dermis. These two skin layers are joined together by a wave-like basement membrane that prevents sliding. As the skin ages, this membrane flattens, allowing the...

  The goal of home care is to return clients to independence within their maximum health status; therefore, the home health nurse focuses on teaching the patient or caregivers how to manage the medical condition, perform dressing changes, and...

  Burn injuries can be extremely painful and carry a risk of infection. The following considerations often help improve outcomes for your burn patient. Premedicate your patient for pain before providing burn care. Depending on the extent of...

  Fungating tumors can present physical and emotional challenges to patients, families, and caregivers. Approximately 5% to 10% of patients with cancer will develop a fungating tumor; these tumors and metastatic lesions can develop at any...

  Geriatric home health nurses care for a large number of elderly patients with gastrostomy tubes (G-tubes). The elderly patient who requires a G-tube typically has multiple medical problems and cannot obtain adequate nutrition. Nurses play a...

  Exposed bone may be present with a wide variety of wounds ranging from pressure and neuropathic ulcers to surgical wounds. As in care of wounds without exposed bone, the goals to keep in mind in treating a wound with bone exposure are...

  Cytotoxic antiseptics are ordered far too often for use in wound care. A key role of WOC nurses is to educate staff and patients by providing instruction on the use of these types of products.   Cytotoxic products, including hydrogen...

  As a Certified Wound Care Nurse in home health, I often am asked to treat an open wound resulting from a sebaceous cyst excision. A sebaceous cyst is a lump or bump under the skin; it results from swollen hair follicles, skin trauma, and/or...

  A 52-year-old man presented to the emergency room with a 4-day history of scrotal pain, edema, and the rapid development of black, foul-smelling, moist lesions on his scrotum and penis. Blood values revealed an increased white blood cell...

    In the long-term care (LTC) setting where the number of Registered Nurses (RN) and specially trained wound care nurses may be limited, Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) and Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) typically provide resident care....