Nurse-delivered patient education on postoperative wound care: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: It is estimated that one in four postoperative wound complications occur within 14 days of hospital discharge. Some estimate that up to 50% of readmissions are preventable with effective postoperative education and closer follow-up. Providing patients with information enables them to detect when medical intervention may be required. The aim of this study was to describe the content of postoperative wound care education given to patients, and to identify demographic and clinical factors that predict receipt of surgical wound care education across two tertiary hospitals in Queensland, Australia. METHOD: A prospective correlational design using structured observations, field notes and an electronic chart audit was used. A consecutive sample of surgical patients and a convenience sample of nurses were observed during episodes of postoperative wound care. Field notes were documented to gain a nuanced understanding of the wound care education delivered by nurses. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the samples. A multivariate logistic regression model was developed to describe associations between seven predictors: sex; age; case complexity; type of wound; dietetic consult; the number of postoperative days; and receipt of postoperative wound care education. RESULTS: In total, 154 nurses delivering surgical wound care and 257 patients receiving wound care were observed. Across the combined number of patients across the two hospitals, 71/257 (27.6%) wound care episodes included postoperative wound education. The content of the wound care education mainly focused on keeping the wound dressing dry and intact, while the secondary focus was on showing patients how to remove and replace the dressing. In this study, three of the seven predictors were significant: sex (ß=-0.776, p=0.013); hospital site (ß=-0.702, p=0.025); and number of postoperative days (ß=-0.043, p=0.039). Of these, sex was the strongest, with females twice as likely to receive some form of wound care education during the postoperative period. These predictors explained 7.6-10.3% of variance in the postoperative wound care education patients received. CONCLUSION: Further research to develop strategies designed to improve the consistency and comprehensiveness of the postoperative wound care education delivered to patients is needed.

Variations in sacral sub-epidermal moisture measurements in hospitalized medical and surgical patients: A longitudinal observational sub-study.

BACKGROUND: Pressure injury risk assessment tools have several well-known limitations. As a result, new methods of assessing risk are emerging, including the use of sub-epidermal moisture measurement to detect localized edema. AIMS: To assess the daily variation in sacral sub-epidermal moisture measurement over five days and establish if age and prophylactic sacral dressing use influenced these measurements. METHODS: As part of a larger randomized controlled trial of the use of prophylactic sacral dressings, a longitudinal observational substudy was undertaken in hospitalized medical and surgical adult patients at risk of pressure injury. The substudy was conducted in consecutively recruited patients from 20 May 2021 to 9 November 2022. Using the SEM 200 (Bruin Biometrics LLC), daily sacral sub-epidermal measurements for up to five days were completed. Two measurements were generated, the most recent sub-epidermal moisture measurement and, after at least three measurements, a delta value, the difference between the highest and lowest values. The delta measurement was the outcome, with a delta of ≥0.60 considered abnormal, increasing the risk of pressure injury development. A mixed analysis of covariance was undertaken to determine if there was any change in delta measurements over the five days and to determine if age and sacral prophylactic dressing use influenced sub-epidermal moisture delta measurement. RESULTS: A total of 392 participants were included in this study; 160 (40.8%) patients had completed five consecutive days of sacral sub-epidermal moisture delta measurements. In total, 1324 delta measurements were undertaken across the five study days. In total, 325 of 392 patients (82.9%) had experienced one or more abnormal delta. Furthermore, 191 (48.7%) and 96 (24.5%) of patients experienced abnormal deltas for two or more and three or more consecutive days. There was no statistically significant variation in sacral sub-epidermal moisture delta measurements over time; increasing age and prophylactic dressing use did not influence sub-epidermal moisture deltas over the five days. CONCLUSION: If only one abnormal delta was used as a trigger, about 83% of patients would have received additional pressure injury prevention strategies. But, if a more nuanced approach to responding to abnormal deltas is taken, between 25 and 50% of patients may receive additional pressure injury prevention, representing a more time and resource efficient approach. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Sub-epidermal moisture delta measurements did not vary over 5 days; increasing age and prophylactic dressing use did not influence these measurements.

Development and validation of a survey designed to measure patient experience of and preference for surgical wound care discharge education: A pilot study.

AIM OF THE STUDY: To develop and undertake validation testing of a survey designed to measure patients' experiences of and preferences for surgical wound care discharge education. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature review and content analysis was undertaken on patients' experiences of and preferences for surgical wound care discharge education. Four themes were uncovered in the literature (wound care discharge education, preferences for discharge education delivery, participation in wound care decisions and patient ability to manage their surgical wound to prevent wound complications), which guided item generation. Three types of validity testing occurred including: 1) face validity testing by the research team; 2) content validity testing (using Delphi study) with an international panel of experts including patients, clinicians and researchers; and 3) content validity (using pilot-testing) of the survey with seven patients from the target population. RESULTS: Initially 106 items were generated from the literature, and of these, 55 items were subjected to content validity testing by an international panel of 41 experts. After two Delphi rounds, 18 items were retained. Most patients provided limited and very minor feedback during pilot-testing. However, pilot-testing resulted in a revised survey administration plan to deliver the survey via telephone, including adding prompts and preambles to items. CONCLUSION: An 18-item survey comprised of three groups of items and an individual item was rigorously developed. The survey requires further testing among a larger sample of patients to confirm the items reflect important aspects of patients' experiences of and preferences for surgical wound care discharge education.

Surgical wound care preferences and priorities from the perspectives of patients: a qualitative analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To explore patients' priorities and preferences for optimal care of their acute or hard-to-heal surgical wound(s). METHOD: This qualitative study involved semi-structured individual interviews with patients receiving wound care in Queensland, Australia. Convenience and snowball sampling were used to recruit patients from inpatient and outpatient settings between November 2019 and January 2020. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. Emergent themes were discussed by all investigators to ensure consensus. RESULTS: A total of eight patients were interviewed, five of whom were male (average median age: 70.5 years; interquartile range (IQR): 45-80 years). Four interrelated themes emerged from the data that describe the patients' surgical wound journey: experiencing psychological and psychosocial challenges; taking back control by actively engaging in care; seeking out essential clinician attributes; and collaborating with clinicians to enable an individualised approach to their wound care. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study indicate that patients want to actively collaborate with clinicians who have caring qualities, professional skills and knowledge, and be involved in decision-making to ensure care meets their individual needs.

Challenges faced by people with a stoma: peristomal body profile risk factors and leakage.

AIM: The Ostomy Life Study 2019 aimed to obtain a better understanding of the challenges faced by people with stoma. METHODS: Online survey with participants from 17 countries. FINDINGS: Of the 54 614 individuals invited to take part, 5187 responded; 62% of the respondents avoided physical and social activities because of their stoma and 37% had never consulted their stoma care nurse to have the fit of their stoma product checked. In a subgroup receiving questions on leakage (n=4209), output under the baseplate and leakage onto clothes were experienced within the previous month by 76% and 26% of respondents, respectively. Higher chance of leakage was associated with an irregular stoma shape and peristomal body profile; a stoma level at or below the skin surface; and the presence of creases, folds and other changes in the peristomal area. CONCLUSION: Leakage and access to a stoma care nurse to provide the necessary care and guidance remain important concerns for individuals with a stoma.

Wound care practices across two acute care settings: A comparative study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Describe and compare current surgical wound care practices across two hospitals in two health services districts, Australia. BACKGROUND: Surgical site infections (SSI) are a complication of surgery and occur in up to 9.5% of surgical procedures, yet they are preventable. Despite the existence of clinical guidelines for SSI prevention, there remains high variation in wound care practice. DESIGN: Prospective comparative design using structured observations and chart audit. METHODS: A specifically developed audit tool was used to collect data on observed wound care practices, documentation of wound assessment and practice, and patients' clinical characteristics from patients' electronic medical records. Structured observations of a consecutive sample of surgical patients receiving wound care with a convenience sample of nurses were undertaken. The manuscript adheres to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement. RESULTS: In total, 154 nurses undertaking acute wound care and 257 surgical patients who received wound care were observed. Across hospitals, hand hygiene adherence after dressing change was lowest (Hospital A: 8/113, 7%; Hospital B: 16/144, 11%; χ2 : 8.93, p = .347). Most wound dressing practices were similar across sites, except hand hygiene prior to dressing change (Hospital A: 107/113, 95%; Hospital B: 131/144, 91%; (χ2 : 7.736, p = .021) and use of clean gloves using nontouch technique (Hospital A: 88/113, 78%; Hospital B: 90/144, 63%; χ2 : 8.313, p = .016). The most commonly documented wound characteristic was wound type (Hospital A: 43/113, 38%; Hospital B: 70/144, 49%). What nurses documented differed significantly across sites (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical variations in wound care practice are likely influenced by clinical context. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Using an evidence-based approach to surgical wound management will help reduce patients' risk of wound-related complications.

Evaluation of a new ostomy mouldable seal: an international product evaluation.

A new mouldable seal, Brava® Protective Seal, was evaluated by patients on aspects related to residue, durability, and preference. A total of 135 patients from four countries participated (Denmark, Germany, Japan and the USA) and the new product was compared to the patients' usual pouching systems. Less residue and easier skin cleansing was observed, which may benefit patient quality of life. The possible benefits of less residue for peristomal skin health need further investigation.