Wound Vac Tips and MRSA sterile dressing

Specialties Wound

Published

I'm going to be floated for a while to a floor that has about 3 patients on Wound Vacs.

I have heard that some nurses are having trouble cutting the foam, they cut incorrectely and waste a package that costs over $100.00.

I would like advice, tips, on using the Vac, like how to cut the foam, do you measure or eye ball your cut?, how to place the tubing? etc. any advice at all, so I won't be wasting material or at least I will have some idea of what to do when I get to that floor.

Also I have been told that a few of the wounds have MRSA and that the doctor has ordered sterile technique with the wound vac. dressing change.

Does It seems odd to use sterile technique for MRSA wound?

Specializes in home health, neuro, palliative care.
wound vacs are not indicated for infected wounds

As long as the infection is being treated a wound vac is appropriate. Silver foam seems more reasonable than sterile technique. You can always call and ask the doc for his or her rationale.

Melina

Just an FYI............ in these days of medicare cuts, insurance cuts, new vacs are out there now. They are not all KCI anymore. Their dressings and machine are different. Some machines are the size of a small battery radio. I would suggest like the others you have an inservice on the product you carry. Actually, no one should even touch this vac system on someone without having a qualified person teaching how it is used, how to apply ect., And you would sign off that you understood the Vac. Make sure you fully understand how to use the Vac before you sign off that you do, due to legal issues.

Specializes in Spinal Cord injuries, Emergency+EMS.

KCI make the best vac out there, simple as ... the trust i work for has tried the others and we've struck with KCI simply because any thing you save with other machines is lost in the cost of supplies especially when the dressings required unnecessary changes or in the case of one machine i've seen changing the canister meant a dressing change as there is no connector in the piping...

there is a small KCI machine the acti vac and we have a mixture of those and the info vac, and that's what our local community services use as well and we've been pretty successful in changing minds from other localities when they've seen the progress we've made with wounds with the KCI machines - especially when we show them the sums regarding dressing changes - as an unscheduled dressing change can be a big cost for the service provider of a community patient ... because of staff tiem for an unplanned visit and mileage etc never mind the cost of supplies

link to the KCI vac page

http://www.kci1.com/KCI1/vactherapy for 'Merkins

http://www.kci-medical.co.uk/UK-ENG/vactherapy for limeys

KCI does make a good machine, but I am not always able to order it due to the patients insurance. Cheaper is better to them.

Specializes in Home Health.

No nurse, no matter how experienced should be applying a wound vac without an inservice. If harm came to the patient, the nurse would be responsible. The wound vac is an excellent tool in wound healing, but it can cause problems if not applied correctly.

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