Reassessment
Reassessment follows the same procedure as the initial wound assessment – and is done to check the wound’s progress. We recommend that you frequently reassess and document progress to help evaluate the effect of the treatment. If the treatment objectives haven’t been met, consider adjusting the wound treatment.
Reporting on wound progress
We strongly recommend that you report on the wound’s progress, as this enables you and others to assess whether the wound is moving towards healing, or whether it is stagnating or even deteriorating. Use standardised tools to measure wound size, wound bed condition and pain intensity and carefully record each assessment.
Quality of life
For you and your patient, wound healing might be the ultimate goal, but you probably care about quality of life, too. Your patient wants to carry on with everyday life and social activities – and you can help them do so by managing the wound appropriately and choosing the best dressing.
Do not let leakages or maceration distress you or your patient. Manage wound pain, and remember that it’s the persistent wound pain than really matters, so don’t just manage pain when changing the dressing.
Non-healing wounds
Some wounds fail to heal – such as fungating wounds, inoperable arterial wounds, and patients with end stage renal failure, osteomyelitis, nutritional disorders and connective tissue disorders. To improve clinical outcomes, these wounds require specialist support for further assessment of underlying conditions.
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