Management Resources

02 February 2024
Normal wound healing follows four distinct phases: haemostasis, inflammation, proliferation and finally, maturation. If any barriers to healing occur within these four phases, the healing process will be delayed or may even stall (Mitchell, 2021). One of the common barriers to healing is hyper or overgranulation, or ‘proud flesh’. Hypergranulated wounds can cause concern to both patients and healthcare professionals, and, although common in wound care, there is a limited evidence base and currently no guidelines for management. This article discusses the causes of hypergranulation, with suggestions on how it can be managed.
Topics:  Management
19 December 2023
The first article in this two-part series looking at faecal incontinence (FI) outlined its effect on people’s quality of life, highlighted its prevalence, explained the different definitions
available and summarised the anatomy and physiology of the lower intestinal tract (Yates, 2023). Here, part two concentrates on the multiple causes/risks of FI, the knowledge and skills r equired to complete a basic assessment and initiate conservative therapies, including the role of medication and pelvic floor rehabilitation, and also discusses management options for FI.
Topics:  Risk factors
01 June 2023
Moisture-associated skin damage (MASD) is a term used to describe skin damage that is caused by prolonged exposure to moisture, such as incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD), intertriginous dermatitis, periwound moisture-associated dermatitis and peristomal moisture-associated dermatitis. MASD is a hugely prevalent issue in hospitals and long-term care facilities (Voegeli, 2019). Studies have shown that skin tone bias exists in the diagnosis and treatment of MASD, the impact of which this paper discusses as well as how to prevent such bias while assessing and diagnosing MASD.
Topics:  Management
11 October 2022
This article looks at the cost and incidence of wound dehiscence, together with an overview of the most common operation sites where dehiscence is likely to occur. Patient factors predisposing to wound dehiscence are discussed, together with the most common cause, surgical site infection (SSI). The identification and management of SSI is explored, together with recommendations for wound management for both infected and non-infected dehisced wounds.
11 February 2020

Non-cystic fibrosis (CF) (bronchiectasis) is a common chronic lung condition, which occurs due to damage to the airways leading to persistent cough, sputum production and recurrent chest infections (Hill et al, 2018). This article focuses on the adult patient and describes the pathophysiology, aetiology, investigation, and management of bronchiectasis in the primary care setting. The aim is to raise awareness of this disease, which is increasing in prevalence and to empower community nurses with information to support patients through the bronchiectasis disease trajectory.

Topics:  Management
30 October 2019

Dehisced surgical wounds are a common occurrence and are seen both in primary and secondary care. The impact of a dehisced wound is far reaching. For the National Health Service, there are increased in-patient costs and additional resources in terms of an extended healing time, such as staffing and dressing materials and therapies. For the patient, a dehisced wound can impact significantly on their wellbeing and quality of life and for patients of working age, the economic impact of not being able to work can be enormous. This article discusses the incidence of wound dehiscence, outlines the types of wounds which are most likely to dehisce, and the most common reason for this, wound infection. Strategies for managing wound infection, including the use of antiseptic and antimicrobial products, together with a frequently used therapy, topical negative pressure therapy (TNPT), are also discussed.

16 April 2019

Pneumonia has a huge impact upon the healthcare system in the UK and is not only associated with higher rates of hospital admissions than any other respiratory disease, but also carries a high risk of mortality. This article offers an overview of community-acquired pneumonia in adult patients, including the pathophysiology, common aetiologies, at-risk groups and pharmacological management. There is also a brief discussion on differential diagnoses and potential strategies to support clinical decision-making in the community.

Topics:  Management