wound vacs, NWPT what do you like?

allnurses Guide · Mar 24, 2009

We only use the VAC and have some really good results with our patients. We only change therapy on advice from our wound specialist nurse, and our patients will often go home with VAC insitu to be cared for in community environments with support from community nurses.

LuLu2008 · Apr 4, 2009

oopps...I see I did my title wrong too....sorry!!!!!!!
Please I need help and feed back. I work in a LTC facility, and I am currently going through webwoc program to attain my WOC nurse. I am totally torn on the KCI and the new smith and nephew? is it...used to be the blue sky. I am getting very angry at the facility. there is a nurse there that used to work for smith and nephew that it seems each time i turn my back he switches the kci to the s&n. and I do not like it. I have not had good out comes yet with the s&n one. I have had it heal one, and it was on the Abd. he is using it on everything, and I do not like it. it is macerating the wounds, on some patients they are changing it daily. and no one will listen to me....because they had a bad experience with the rep from KCI. that is not fair. I had one wound almost healed...and he went and changed it from kci to s&n...and it is worse.???
Hello? does that not say anything? I need proof...I need back up..........help! I am all for healing...if the s&n healed...the wounds I would not have a problem...and when I look on here everyone says the same thing. and then too they say the s&n does good on anterior wounds but nothing else. so Please can someone give me feed back? can someone give me proof? or can someone give me some words of advice that I can go to my DON and talk to her. I am the unit manager, and member of the wound team. I believe this nurse maybe getting a "cut" if he brings in these wound vacs? is that a possibility too? I do not know. this is making me angry. I want wounds to heal. all these wounds he changes are healing.
aaahhhhh......"don't mess with my healing wounds" :wink2:

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You wrote a lot, and what you wrote was a little bit confusing. It seems that if you are the unit manager and have healing wounds that would be a good starting point for a conversation with your DON, asking that you be allowed to continue the existing therapy in light of good results (measurable!) to date.

KimT08 · Apr 15, 2009

I do know that KCI has studies comparing the two therapies. I have personally used both and do not like the S&N version. I had a patient who had a wound that got worse after the LTC facility refused to get the KCI version and the surgeon I worked with had to take the patient to surgery for open debridement. One point I can make to discuss with your DON is the fact that they are changing the S&N dressings more often which does not make it more cost effective than the KCI version. I have wonderful KCI reps. If your rep is not helpful you can go to the account exec in your area. I hope this helps.