I'm interested in taking the CWCA exam, but a friend of mine mentioned that the WCC is better. What is the difference between the two?
Volume 48 - Issue 6 - June, 2002
Experts
- Wed, 9/3/08 - 10:25am
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- 1501 reads
"There is great skill in knowing how to conceal one's skill."
- Francois Duc de la Rochefoucauld (1613-1680)
I f Monsieur de la Rochefoucauld had the opportunity to observe expert clinicians, he probably would have used them to prove his point. Only experts know how to write two words in a patient's chart after making 15 mental notes and assessing 15 variables. Experts simultaneously talk to a patient, remove a leaky ostomy appliance, and flip through their mental Rolodex of dozens and dozens of pouching options to try. Their "I'm just going to change this dressing" really means th
Reimbursement Updates
- Wed, 9/3/08 - 10:25am
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"Homebound" Definition Does Not Exclude Adult Day Care
Medicare's home health benefit provides intermittent skilled nursing and other services to "homebound " beneficiaries - that is, "those patients who are able to leave home only with great difficulty and for absences that are infrequent and of short duration."1 Absences from home permitted under Medicare regulations include obtaining medical care (physician office visits) and treatment at a hospital, extended care facility, or rehabilitation center when the medical equipment needed for the treatment is too cumbe
Quality of Life: Healing the Brain and The Body
- Wed, 9/3/08 - 10:25am
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Self-esteem is potent concern for anyone, and emotion cannot be denied.
- Richard Cohen, writer, The New York Times, on his feelings about his temporary ileostomy, April 2001
Q uality of life. Three words that carry enormous weight in any person's life, but especially in a life lived with a stoma. These three words are lobbed about in nearly every professional discussion of outcomes or cost of ostomies, as well as in the process of developing clinical tools and standards. But do we really know what they mean and are we really paying attention to and measuring quality of life (QOL)?
Getting Patients the Support They Need
- Wed, 9/3/08 - 10:25am
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Victoria Langer, CNA, STNA (and in pursuit of her RN degree and certification as a Wound Care Specialist) is an expert at making lemonade from lemons. Several years ago, while she was working at an eye surgery center, her husband Larry developed an aggressive form of thyroid cancer. Larry's condition deteriorated very rapidly - 13 tumors had metastasized to his spinal cord and lungs. Following a tracheostomy, Larry needed a device that would elevate and position him more comfortably, but the foam wedges available in their hometown of Mansfield, Ohio caused too much additional pressure. Victori
Necrotizing Fasciitis: A Diagnostic and Management Challenge
- Wed, 9/3/08 - 10:25am
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Background
Necrotizing fasciitis has been defined as a rapidly progressive disease characterized by extensive necrosis of skin, fascia, and subcutaneous tissue.1-3 If not diagnosed promptly, it can be severe and potentially life-threatening.4-6 The first reportable cases of vulvar necrotizing fasciitis were found in 1972 in the obstetric and gynecologic literature.7,8
The most commonly identified organisms found in necrotizing fasciitis are Escherichia coli, Bacteroides, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Staphylococcus, Proteus, Pseudom
June Industry News and New Products
- Wed, 9/3/08 - 10:25am
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New barrier ring offers enhanced flexibility
Marlen Manufacturing and Development Company (Bedford, Ohio) introduced the new UltraSeal(TM) Flexible Barrier Ring. The hydrocolloid barrier will bend, stretch, and twist to almost any configuration to accommodate most stomas, regardless of size and shape, molding easily to fill in crevices and irregularities. Alcohol-free, the ring adheres well to both the body and the ostomy pouch, creating a secure seal that prevents leakage and extends pouch wear time; thus, providing the ostomate a greater confidence level. The ring also remo
The Cochrane Collaboration
- Wed, 9/3/08 - 10:25am
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Intermittent pneumatic compression for treating venous leg ulcers (Cochrane Review Abstract)
R Mani, K Vowden, and EA Nelson
Background: Intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) is a mechanical method of delivering compression to swollen limbs. This technique has been used to treat venous leg ulcers and limb swelling due to lymphedema. The effectiveness of IPC and the appropriate duration and frequency of IPC therapy are unknown, as are the differences between various types of IPC. This review analyses the evidence for the effectiveness of IPC as a treatment
The Patient with Skin Disease: An Approach for Nondermatologists
- Wed, 9/3/08 - 10:25am
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N urses, nondermatology physicians, and other healthcare professionals frequently encounter patients with skin disease in their daily practice. In fact, of all patient visits to physicians for skin disease, the majority are to nondermatologists.1 Unfortunately, nondermatology physicians lack the training and acumen compared to dermatologists with respect to the diagnosis and treatment of cutaneous disease2-6; clearly, a need exists for either improvement in their skills or reliance on specialist consultation. To improve the quality of care rendered by nondermatologists, h
Sacral Skin Blood Perfusion: A Factor in Pressure Ulcers?
- Wed, 9/3/08 - 10:25am
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C ertain sites of bony prominence are known to be at particular risk for skin breakdown and pressure ulcer development as compared with soft tissue sites under similar loading conditions. For example, pressure ulcers occur over the sacrum but are rare over the gluteus maximus.1 To a large measure, this predilection is explainable on the basis of pressure concentration and other mechanical effects on tissue overlying the sacrum. Differences in response to short-term pressure loading of skin, overlying sacrum, and gluteus regions have been reported. Differential microvascular flow reg
Clinical and Cost Effectiveness of a Cleanser Protectant Lotion for Treatment of Perineal Skin Breakdown in Low-Risk Patients wi
- Wed, 9/3/08 - 10:25am
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P erineal dermatitis is a potentially serious sequela of urinary and/or fecal incontinence. If untreated, denuded skin may rapidly progress to ulceration and secondary infection,1 including bacterial (Staphylococcus) and yeast (Candida albicans) infections. This often results in physical discomfort, functioning limitations, and increased treatment costs. Frequent urinary incontinence and/or liquid stool have been cited by several authors2,3 as causes of perineal skin breakdown; therefore, patients with incontinence may benefit from prophylactic care and expedited t
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