Debridement: ethical, legal and practical considerations.
Deciding which product or technique to use in order to effect debridement involves more than a simple dressing choice. Patient preference, degree of risk, environmental factors, resources and possible contra indications/cautions must be taken into account before proceeding. The option of conservative sharp debridement is a valuable tool and is potentially of great benefit to many patients. Despite this it may be underused in primary care due to the perception that it is a high risk procedure.
O'Brien
Mark
M
Tissue Viability, Great Ormond St Hospital, London, UK. OBrieM1@gosh.nhs.uk
D000075202:Contraindications; D003646:Debridement / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D003657:Decision Making; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D012308:Risk Management / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000601:surgery