New guidelines for wound management available

AORN Journal, Oct, 2004

The Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society (WOCN) has released a new clinical guideline intended for use by health care professionals who direct, provide, or specialize in wound care for patients with tower extremity neuropathic disease, according to an Aug 12, 2004, news release from WOCN. The guideline includes etiology; overall management goals; and information about assessment, intervention, and neuropathic wound prevention.

Lower extremity neuropathic disease occurs as a result of damage to specific nerve structures. In patients who are diabetic, metabolic changes that occur as a result of hyperglycemia and insulin deficiency contribute to progressive functional and structural defects that damage peripheral nerve tissue. This damage produces neurological deficits that result in reduced or altered perception of temperature, touch, and pain.

The guideline supports clinical practice by providing research-based, clinical information with a goal of producing improved, cost-effective patient outcomes. It also provides impetus for education and a framework for future research. Copies of the guideline can be purchased online at http://www.wocn.org or by calling WOCN at (888) 224-9626.

Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society Releases New Clinical Guideline for the Treatment of Lower-Extremity Neuropathic Disease (news release, Glenview, Ill: Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society, Aug 12, 2004).