title: Wound performance.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to collect information about wound management practices which would establish baseline wound healing data. This data would be used to make measurable comparisons with new wound management techniques. This study focuses on data collected from the surgical area of Auckland Hospital. All patients whose wounds were surgically acquired were included in the study. Data collection was started immediately post-operatively and continued at each dressing change until the patient was discharged. The data collection tool was developed from "nursing expectations" of wound healing performance. This previously undefined set of expectations is an aggregate of the result of nursing knowledge, nursing experience and individual patients' conditions. The tool was refined against actual wound recovery and became a standard to test the accuracy of expectations. The wounds involved in this study were categorised and allocated expected healing rates. This was linked with discharge planning. It was against the stated range of expectations that wounds were measured for performance, as--"better than (expected)," "average," or "less than." Patients were divided into three broad age groups that reflected a particular health status and pre-existing influences. The groups chosen were: "20 years and under," "20 to 70 years" and "70 years plus." These groups were used as indicators to determine risk for wound management. Wound healing was measured as to whether it met nursing expectations. Factors such as wound appearance, complications, solutions and induction antibiotic cover were also measured. Findings show the hospital has a minimal level of complications of surgically acquired wounds.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nicholls
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001458:Bandages; D015400:Clinical Nursing Research; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013527:Perioperative Nursing; D014945:Wound Healing; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000451:nursing*