title: Preventing and managing surgical wound dehiscence.
abstract: Most surgical wounds heal uneventfully--the dehisced surgical incision is definitely the exception to the rule. However, management of a dehisced incision is a fairly common home care challenge that must be understood. This month's column answers the questions: Why do some incisions dehisce, and what, if anything, can be done to prevent dehiscence? Are there early warning signs to look for? How should a dehisced wound be managed?
authors.affiliation: Emory University, WOC Nursing Education Center, The Emory Clinic, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. ddought@emory.edu
authors.forename: Dorothy B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Doughty
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024802:Nurse's Role; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods*; D013529:Surgical Wound Dehiscence / Q000451:nursing* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000451:nursing* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology