Simple dressings
HLTAIN301B: Assist nursing team in an acute care
environment.
What is a wound?
• Any break in the skin or mucous membrane which may be the
result of a surgical incision, an injury, infection or a disease
process that leads to skin breakdown
• Activity: In groups discuss what your role is in providing
wound management.
• Glossary of Terminology
Purpose of wound care
• Promote healing
• Prevents infection
• Involves the cleaning of the wound with an appropriate
solution & covering with an appropriate dressing product
• A wound dressing should protect the wound, improve healing
& reduce pain
• What solutions and what technique?
Principles of wound care
• Your involvement in wound care will depend entirely on the
facility policies & procedures
• Acute versus Chronic
Stages of wound healing
• Inflammation
• Proliferation
• Maturation
Factors influencing wound healing
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Infection
Foreign bodies
Age
Nutritional status
Location of wound
Drugs
General health
Types of dressings
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Film membranes
Foams
Hydrogels
Hydrocolloids
Aglinate
Miscellaneous e.g. combine
• Show products.
Points to consider
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Assess the wound regularly
Observe size, shape, colour of the wound
Keep the wound area clean
View the wound chart
Encourage a healthy diet
Remain professional, particularly if the wound has an
unpleasant odour or look
Documentation
• Wound care charts
• Example
Clinical skills:- Hand
washing
Aseptic technique
Dressing technique
Aseptic technique
Wound care
How can pathogens introduce infection to the patient?
Through contact with:
• Environment
• Personnel
• Equipment
How can this be prevented?
• Environment
Personnel
Equipment
With these types of measures in place, the chain of
infection is broken = limiting the risk
Aseptic technique
A dressing change at the bedside, though in a
much less controlled environment than the
operating room, will still involve:
• Thorough hand washing
• Use of PPE
• Creation of a sterile field
• Opening and introducing packages and fluids in
such a way as to avoid contamination
• Constant avoidance of contact with nonsterile
items.
Aseptic technique –
Basic guidelines
Aseptic technique – basic guidelines
When carrying out
aseptic technique you
need to do What?
Aseptic technique – basic guidelines
• Prepare dressing trolley
(clean it!)
• Open sterile packs
carefully to prevent
contamination of
contents
Aseptic technique – basic guidelines
• Use only sterile items to
contact the site.
• Ensure that sterile items
do not come into
contact with non-sterile
items during the actual
procedure being
performed
Aseptic technique – basic
guidelines
• Discard any waste contaminated with blood or other body
fluids into clinical waste bags or sharps containers.
• Discard protective clothing.
• Wash your hands after the procedure.
Basic Dressing
Technique /
Procedure
Equipment
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Dressing pack
Additional supplies e.g. extra gauzes, scissors etc
Cleaning solution. (N/Saline)
A waterproof bag for disposal of rubbish
Tape
Blue sheets
Dressing technique - Intervention
Prepare the patient. How?
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Explain procedure/intentions
Provide privacy
Assist the patient to get into a comfortable position
With non-sterile gloves, remove / loosen the outer soiled dressing.