Advancing nursing practice in Ireland: A pathway of care for nurse-led integrated venous leg ulcer management.

Approximately 80% of patients presenting with leg ulcers are venous in origin. However, lack of standardisation of care has a human and financial impact for patients and service providers. Increases in the aging population and number of patients entering older age with co-morbidities results in increases in the demand for venous leg ulcer treatments. A joint initiative between a Registered Advanced Nurse Practitioner (RANP) in tissue viability and wound care, and a vascular consultant, identified deficits in patient care delivery and quality of life. A joint initiative Implementing the principles of the 'Sláintecare' policy was established as the Leg Ulcer Centre Ireland (LUCI) to deliver a pathway for the treatment and management of lower limb venous ulcers. The RANP provides a "one stop shop" for patients, offering a complete care package from diagnosis to surgical intervention - endovenous ablation, follow-up post operative care and discharge. Audit findings include; reduced hospital admissions and waiting times; increased patient satisfaction; and, improved interdisciplinary integrated referral pathways. The RANP offers an effective, efficient diagnosis-to-end treatment service for patients. The results demonstrate improved treatment, cost outcomes and value-based outcomes for patients. The new integrated service facilitates expansion of the service and further enhancement of the nursing skills and role.

Úlcera isquémica hipertensiva de Martorell: un abordaje desde la perspectiva del dolor / Martorell hypertensive ischemic ulcer: an approach from the perspective of pain

La úlcera hipertensiva de Martorell supone una lesión dolorosa de difícil diagnóstico y manejo. Presentamos el caso de una mujer con una lesión que no mejoraba tras meses de tratamientos distintos. La sospecha inicial del diagnóstico la realizó el enfermero que hacía las curas, que actuó sobre la base de dicha sospecha y posteriormente se confirmó la hipótesis diagnóstica por los especialistas del hospital. La evolución muestra que, con un adecuado control del dolor gracias al uso de determinados fármacos, apósitos y de la terapia de presión negativa, que junto a la aplicación de vendaje de tracción corta y el abordaje de las enfermedades concomitantes, consiguieron una mejora notable en la sensación de dolor y confort de la paciente y el cierre epitelial de la lesión (AU)

Martorell hypertensive ulcer is a painful lesion that is difficult to diagnose and manage. We present the case of a woman with an injury that did not improve after months of different treatments. The initial suspicion of the diagnosis was made by the nurse who performed the cures, who acted on the basis of this suspicion and subsequently the diagnostic hypothesis was confirmed by the hospital specialists. The evolution shows that with adequate pain control thanks to the use of certain drugs, dressings and negative pressure therapy, which together with the application of a short traction bandage and the approach to concomitant diseases, achieved a notable improvement in the sensation of pain and comfort of the patient and the epithelial closure of the lesion (AU)

Abordaje interdisciplinario de una persona con una úlcera venosa: Reporte de un caso clínico / Interdisciplinary approach of a person with a venous ulcer: Report of a clinical case

Las úlceras venosas son lesiones de piel de alta recurrencia localizadas en los miembros inferiores relacionadas con patologías venosas y con escasa tendencia a la cicatrización espontánea y alta probabilidad de reincidencia. Con el objetivo de visualizar la importancia que tiene para la persona usuaria el abordaje integral derivado del trabajo interdisciplinario de enfermería y terapia física en el manejo de lesiones venosas, se presenta el caso de una paciente de 85 años la cual fue abordada de manera interdisciplinaria en 4 sesiones durante cinco semanas, donde se realizó curación de la lesión y aplicación de terapia compresiva en conjunto con drenaje linfático manual, compresión neumática intermitente y prescripción de plan de ejercicios domiciliares. Adicionalmente, se realizaron sesiones de ejercicios presenciales 2 veces a la semana durante las mismas 5 semanas supervisadas por el profesional de terapia física, que favoreció la resolución de la lesión, mejorando así la calidad de vida de la usuaria.

Venous ulcers are highly recurrent skin lesions located in the lower limbs related to venous pathologies and with little tendency to spontaneous healing and high probability of recurrence. In order to visualize the importance for the user of the comprehensive approach derived from the interdisciplinary work of nursing and physical therapy in the management of venous leg ulcers, the case of an 85-year-old patient is presented who was approached by an interdisciplinary team of physical therapy and nursing in 4 sessions during five weeks, where the venous ulcer was healed and compression therapy was applied in conjunction with manual lymphatic drainage, compression intermittent pneumatics and prescription of home exercise plan. Additionally, face-to-face exercise sessions were carried out 2 times a week during the same 5 weeks, supervised by the physical therapy professional, which favored the resolution of the venous ulcer, thus improving the quality of life of the user. The interdisciplinary approach is highlighted as a central aspect in the evolution of the case.

An audience survey of practice relating to pain in the management of chronic venous leg ulcers.

Venous leg ulcers (VLU) respond well to compression, yet many ulcers remain unhealed after 1 year. Practitioners could be reluctant to apply compression to patients with significant ulcer pain. This study aimed to capture the views of practitioners on compression therapy for patients with painful VLU. A survey was conducted at a UK meeting in 2019 using handheld voting pads to capture the anonymous responses to four questions to which a mean of 90 practitioners responded. Nearly 40% of practitioners treat six or more patients a day with painful lower-limb ulcers. Some 80% felt confident in managing patients with painful ulcers; yet, most practitioners suggested they would refer onward for pain management. Some 40% would omit or reduce compression therapy as a pain management strategy. This survey supports the need for technological solutions that reduce VLU pain so that patients receive effective compression therapy.

Quality of life of patients with hard-to-heal leg ulcers: a review of nursing documentation.

People with hard-to-heal leg ulcers experience reduced quality of life (QoL), including physical, mental and social aspects; this, in turn, negatively affects the wound healing process. QoL is often overlooked by health professionals treating those with hard-to-heal wounds, for whom the focus is instead on the wound itself and the healing process. This study aimed to investigate how the QoL of patients with hard-to-heal wounds is documented and followed up by nurses. The healthcare records of patients with hard-to-heal wounds were reviewed using an audit instrument. Data were collected retrospectively from 12 patient healthcare records. The nursing documentation included few notes related to patients' QoL. The nurses focused on issues such as nutrition, mobilisation and smoking, while the patients expressed concerns about anxiety/depressed mood, pain and sleeping difficulties. Only nine of the documented problems were approved according to the instrument. Most importantly, documentation of planned interventions and outcomes was missing. Documentation by nurses around the QoL of patients with hard-to-heal wounds is lacking, because of which QoL might be neglected and wound healing might not progress well.

The characteristics and impact of hard-to-heal wounds: results of a standardised survey.

The effective management of hard-to-heal wounds has increasingly important implications for those who provide wound care services within healthcare systems. The burden of wounds in the population continues to grow, as does the demand for wound care, against a backdrop of cost constraints and increasing expectations. The need to improve both outcomes and efficiency in wound care is therefore paramount and the time taken to heal wounds is an important factor in determining both. Survey methodology was used to collect data across 10 community wound care providers in the UK, Ireland, Finland, Norway and Denmark between February and August 2017. This allowed for analysis of wounds and their characteristics, dressing selection and nursing practice across a typical wound caseload. Data from 1057 wounds demonstrates that the characteristics and consequences of hard-to-heal wounds are different from improving wounds. However, wounds are, in general, treated in the same way, irrespective of whether they are hard-to-heal or improving, suggesting that the healing status of a wound is not a major factor in treatment selection. Early intervention to return hard-to-heal wounds to a healing trajectory may be a useful approach to improving efficiency in wound care.

Economic evaluation of compression stockings for the prevention of venous leg ulcer recurrence in Ontario.

OBJECTIVE: Approximately between 1.5 and 3.0 per 1000 people are affected by venous leg ulcers (VLUs). The treatment and management of VLUs is costly and recurrence is a major concern. There is evidence that compression stockings can reduce the rate of re-ulceration compared with no compression. We present the first cost-effective analysis of compression stockings in preventing recurrence of VLUs from the perspective of the Ontario healthcare system. METHOD: A cost-utility analysis with a five-year time horizon was conducted. Use of compression stockings was compared with usual care (no compression stockings). We simulated a hypothetical cohort of 65-year-old patients with healed VLUs, using a state-transition model. Model input parameters were obtained mainly from the published literature. We estimated quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained and direct medical costs. We conducted various sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: Compared with usual care, compression stockings were associated with higher costs and increased QALYs. Cost-utility analysis showed that the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of compression stockings was $23,864 per QALY gained compared with no compression stockings. The most influential drivers of cost-effectiveness were the utility value of healed VLUs, cost of stockings, number of stocking replacements, monthly prevention cost and the risk of VLU recurrence. CONCLUSION: Compared with usual care, compression stockings were cost-effective in preventing VLUs, using a willingness-to-pay threshold of $50,000. These observations were consistent even when uncertainty in model inputs and parameters were considered.

Paciente con úlceras vasculares infectadas. Un abordaje desde la teoría de Dorothea Orem / A patient with infected vascular ulcers: An approach based on Dorothea Orem's Theory

La úlcera vascular es muy dolorosa por lo que suele ir acompañada por dificultad en la movilidad y disminución de la calidad de vida. Por ello es fundamental una correcta curación de las úlceras junto con un adecuado manejo del dolor y llevar a cabo prevención de caídas. Se expone el caso de un varón de 71 años que presenta cuatro úlceras vasculares infectadas en miembros inferiores. Para el abordaje del caso clínico se ha realizado la valoración enfermera según la teoría del déficit de autocuidado de Dorothea Orem, se han utilizado las taxonomías de lenguaje enfermero NANDA, NIC y NOC, y se ha aplicado el modelo AREA de Pesut. Se identificaron los diagnósticos enfermeros de Intolerancia a la actividad y Riesgo de caídas; y como problemas de colaboración las úlceras vasculares, la infección de las úlceras vasculares y el dolor agudo. Los resultados (NOC) planteados fueron: "Curación de la herida: por segunda intención", "Tolerancia a la actividad" y "Movilidad". Las intervenciones (NIC) desarrolladas fueron: "Cuidados de las heridas", "Terapia de ejercicios (ambulación), "Manejo ambiental (seguridad)", "Administración de medicación (antibióticos): intravenosa" y "Manejo del dolor: agudo". Tras una semana de aplicación del plan de cuidados se consiguió la regresión completa de la infección de las úlceras y una buena evolución de las lesiones cutáneas

Vascular ulcers are very painful, and they usually entail mobility difficulties and a reduction in quality of life. Therefore, the correct cure of ulcers, together with an adequate pain management, and conducting the prevention of falls are essential. The case of a 71-year-old male is presented, with four infected vascular ulcers in lower limbs. For this clinical case approach, a nursing assessment has been conducted according to Dorothea Orem's Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory, using the NANDA, NIC and NOC taxonomy, and applying the Pesut's AREA model. The Activity Intolerance and Risk of Falls nursing diagnoses were identified; and as collaboration problems: vascular ulcers, vascular ulcer infection, and acute pain. The (NOC) outcomes raised were: "Wound Healing: Secondary Intention", "Activity Tolerance" and "Mobility". The (NIC) interventions conducted were: "Wound Care", "Exercise Therapy (Ambulation)", "Environmental Management (safety); "Medication Administration (antibiotics): Intravenous", and "Acute Pain Management". After one week of implementing the care plan, complete regression of ulcer infections was achieved, as well as good evolution of skin lesions

Congruence between perceived and theoretical knowledge before and after an internet-based continuing education program about venous leg ulcer nursing care.

BACKGROUND: Previous research has revealed nurses' knowledge gaps in venous leg ulcer (VLU) nursing care, and continuing education is needed. The closer nurses' perceived knowledge is to their evidence-based theoretical knowledge, the better possibilities they have to conduct evidence-based VLU nursing care. OBJECTIVES: To assess the congruence between nurses' perceived and theoretical knowledge about VLU nursing care before and after an internet-based education about VLU nursing care (eVLU). DESIGN: Quasi-experimental study with intervention and comparison groups and pre- and post-measurements. SETTING: Home health care in two Finnish municipalities. PARTICIPANTS: Nurses (n = 946) working in home health care were invited to participate. In the intervention group, 239 nurses and 229 nurses in the comparison group met the inclusion criteria, and they were all recruited to the study. METHOD: Nurses were divided into intervention and comparison groups with lottery between the municipalities. Nurses in both groups took care of patients with VLU according to their organizations' instructions. In addition to this, nurses in the intervention group received a 6-week eVLU while those in the comparison group did not. Data were collected with a questionnaire about perceived and theoretical knowledge before education, at six weeks, and at 10 weeks. The percentages of congruence were calculated at every measurement point, and the McNemar test was used to detect statistical significance of changes between measurements. RESULTS: The increase of congruence was more often statistically significant in the intervention group than in the comparison group. CONCLUSION: The results support the hypothesis that the congruence between perceived and theoretical knowledge will be higher among nurses receiving eVLU. Because of the low participation and drop-outs, the results should be interpreted with caution.

Updated leg ulcer pathway: improving healing times and reducing costs.

Regardless of the amount of literature and evidence on leg ulcer management, there are still significant variations in treatment. Implementing a standardised leg ulcer pathway to ensure patients are appropriately and timely assessed could help reduce nursing time and overall costs, while improving healing outcomes and patients' quality of life. Such a pathway was introduced in Lincolnshire and Leicestershire, UK, to treat venous leg ulcers (VLUs). The results showed improved healing times, reduced costs and fewer nurse visits, among other findings.

Assessing and managing patients with leg ulceration and oedema.

Leg ulcers are some of the most common wounds treated by the NHS. Ulceration is usually classified as being of venous or arterial origin. Arterial ulcers develop because of reduced arterial flow to the leg caused by peripheral arterial disease. Venous leg ulcers, the most common form, develop because of vein incompetence, with valve failure leading to pressure in the veins. Nurses working with patients with oedema find that chronic oedema can cause the limb affected to swell, causing skin to stretch and break and lead to ulceration. This is known as superficial ulceration. This article discusses the causes, assessment and management of these different types of leg ulcer.

Embedding National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance into a leg ulcer pathway.

Research has shown that leg ulcers represent the largest category of wound type treated within the UK. Venous leg ulcers are often classified as chronic wounds with increased protease levels causing the wound to become suspended in the inflammatory stage, which leads to delayed healing. If treatment choices are not evidence-based and appropriate regimens are not instigated early on in the wound care journey, the cost to both the patient and the healthcare service is substantial. Recent guidance from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends UrgoStart (Urgo Medical) for treating venous leg ulcers as an adjunct therapy to the gold standard of compression therapy. Correct treatment choices must be made by clinicians using up-to-date relevant wound care knowledge. Evidence-based treatment algorithms and pathways can assist with correct product and therapy placement, assisting decision-making to improve patient outcomes. The present article describes a patient-centred leg ulcer pathway that embeds NICE guidance.

Wound care nurse of the year 2019: runner up.

Clare Mechen, runner up at the BJN Awards 2019, describes the work of the Leg Club for which her team was shortlisted.