ActiVAC

[84RN]

Any experience/tips for working with a hh patient that has an ActiVAC wound care pump?

My patient is getting one, ordered by the wound care center. It's being delivered this week and I'll be setting it up for her.

YouTube has been informative, but would also like btdt advice and tips. My clinical supervisor will be coming with me for the first visit to apply, since she has more vac experience than I do.

[woundnurse4u]

I can only share my experience from an acute care standpoint. I try to counsel the patient about the home VAC. This includes discussing the battery life span, plugging the unit into a wall outlet, trip/fall hazards, not to expose the unit to water, not to drop the unit, things that need to be reported to the physician (s/s infection, active bleeding), and to especially inform them that the dressing needs to be removed if the therapy is turned off for > 2 hours.