Wound Care
Case Study One
Identification of the Care that Mr Jones will require in relation to the safe management and promotion of wound healing
This essay will focus on the holistic care of Mr Jones, with particular attention to the management of his wound. The points that will be discussed and analysed are the role of the skin, wound assessment, the nutritional status of Mr Jones and the problem of his obesity. Added to this, an analytical discussion of the involvement of the multi-disciplinary team, the way that Mr Jones’ wound should be managed including the problem of infection and pain plus the suitable dressings, which could be used. Lastly, health promotion for Mr Jones will be addressed.
It is important that the role and functions of the skin are identified in order to realise the importance of appropriate wound care. The skin is the largest organ in the body (Worley 2004), and has an array of functions. According to Gunnewicht and Dunford (2004), there are seven main functions that the skin performs. These are the regulation of body temperature, protection, sensation, excretion, immunity, blood reservoir, and finally synthesis of vitamin D. Gunnewicht and Dunford (2004) mention that the skin is the body’s first line of defence against infection. It provides a physical barrier to protect from bacterial invasion.
Mr Jones’ wound is a surgical wound so it can be classified as mechanical because it was caused by a laparotomy performed 10 days earlier. Mechanical wounds can be caused by either surgery, friction or shearing. Other types of mechanical wounds could be bites, penetrating wounds and lacerations. (Dougherty and Lister, 2004) According to Gunnewicht and Dunford (2004), most surgical wounds heal by primary intention, which means that the wound will heal from the skin downwards, the edges are brought together in direct opposition and are closed using sutures or clips. In Mr Jones’ case, his wound will have to heal by secondary intention because it is
Identification of the Care that Mr Jones will require in relation to the safe management and promotion of wound healing
This essay will focus on the holistic care of Mr Jones, with particular attention to the management of his wound. The points that will be discussed and analysed are the role of the skin, wound assessment, the nutritional status of Mr Jones and the problem of his obesity. Added to this, an analytical discussion of the involvement of the multi-disciplinary team, the way that Mr Jones’ wound should be managed including the problem of infection and pain plus the suitable dressings, which could be used. Lastly, health promotion for Mr Jones will be addressed.
It is important that the role and functions of the skin are identified in order to realise the importance of appropriate wound care. The skin is the largest organ in the body (Worley 2004), and has an array of functions. According to Gunnewicht and Dunford (2004), there are seven main functions that the skin performs. These are the regulation of body temperature, protection, sensation, excretion, immunity, blood reservoir, and finally synthesis of vitamin D. Gunnewicht and Dunford (2004) mention that the skin is the body’s first line of defence against infection. It provides a physical barrier to protect from bacterial invasion.
Mr Jones’ wound is a surgical wound so it can be classified as mechanical because it was caused by a laparotomy performed 10 days earlier. Mechanical wounds can be caused by either surgery, friction or shearing. Other types of mechanical wounds could be bites, penetrating wounds and lacerations. (Dougherty and Lister, 2004) According to Gunnewicht and Dunford (2004), most surgical wounds heal by primary intention, which means that the wound will heal from the skin downwards, the edges are brought together in direct opposition and are closed using sutures or clips. In Mr Jones’ case, his wound will have to heal by secondary intention because it is