kc319

I am 54 and have been in Home Health for the last 8 years. Before that I was an E.R. nurse for 10 years.

She actually uses Dilaudid for pain control. But with the use of the wound vac, it does not help.

Yes, the pain is controlled w/ wound vac off, increases significantly when on. You're right, I forgot about not using compression w/ arterial insufficiency. A wound care doc would be good, she's just seeing Infectious Disease. I'll talk to her & family about getting 2nd opinion.

I work in Home Care so on average, I travel between 200-300 miles per day! 5 days a week.

I would only take them off in an extremely clean home for cultural purposes only. Other than that, shoe covers go on, no questions asked. Bet you're surprised as the number of responses, aren't ya?:yelclap:

I have a pt with a HUGE venous stasis ulcer encompaassing nearly her entire left lower leg. Her co-morbidities: age (83), advanced RA, wheelchair bound, diabetes, HTN, OA, arterial insufficiency. She just completed IV ABX for osteomyelitis in the ulcer, skin is paper-thin, has multiple allergies. She was with another physician and switched when she kept getting worse. Her current doctor insists on using a wound vac, even though the pain level is rated as 15 on scale of 1-10. She has an odor to the wound that will knock your socks off, the wound bed is yellow, (yeast infection) orders to clean w/Accuzyme! Whenever I remove the wound vac, the entire wound bleeds. I would like to use a UNNA boot on her or some type of compression bandage system with zinc oxide and maybe use a Curafoam on the wound bed. Can anyone give me any other ideas for treatment or should I continue to "torture" my pt and use the wound vac?

I have been asked by my company to look into the requirements for teaching a CNA class. However, no matter where I look, I don't seem to looking in the right places for the training module, requirements to become and instructor etc. Can anyone point me in the right direction? I live in Michigan.

I would ask the pharm. if they would mix it in 100 ml of N/S instead of 50 ml. That is the way we infuse it at the HH Agency I work for.

I have a pt with a transverse colostomy who will be undergoing a colonoscopy. She is to have enemas given to her through her colostomy and I've never done, seen it, nor been inserviced on it! Can anyone explain the procedure to me?

I have worked in Home Health for a long time as a Wound Care Nurse and as long as the physician has put on a dressing (and I'm sure he/she has), it is ok to leave the wound vac off for up to 24 hours and resume your usual M W F schedule.

She has had multiple abdominal surgeries with more to come. The stoma is irregularly shaped, it is a transverse colostomy on her right side. Unfortunately, I'm not an ET nurse, so I'm not sure how else to describe it.

I have a female pt. who was just admitted to my Home Care Agency from another Home Care Agency. She had a colostomy done on her in Dec. 07. Right now, it is an angry red all around the opening. Looks like an abrasion all around it. She complains of a burning sensation, esp. when the bag is being changed and the stoma is getting cleaned. She only changes it q 6-7 days, I instructed her to change it q 2 days. But what can she use to heal? We don't have an ET nurse in our agency.