title: Assessment of surgical wounds in the home health patient: definitions and accuracy with OASIS-C.
abstract: The number of surgical patients receiving home care continues to grow as hospitals discharge patients sooner. Home health clinicians must gain knowledge of the wound healing stages and surgical wound classification to collect accurate data in the Outcome and Assessment Information Set-C (OASIS-C). This article provides the information clinicians need to accurately assess surgical wounds and implement best practices for improving surgical wounds in the home health patient.
authors.affiliation: Home Nursing Agency, Altoona, Pennsylvania, USA. rtrexler@homenursingagency.com
authors.forename: Rhonda A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Trexler
mesh_terms: D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000601:surgery; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012867:Skin / Q000293:injuries*; D017592:Skin Care / Q000451:nursing; D013529:Surgical Wound Dehiscence / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000451:nursing; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000451:nursing; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000145:classification* / Q000451:nursing*