Advancing practice: From staff nurse to nurse consultant. Part 6: Learning from experience

摘要

Wound bed preparation is essential for the healing of wounds. The TIME framework (tissue, infection/inflammation, moisture balance, edge of wound) for wound bed preparation shows the importance of debridement in the treatment of chronic wounds. Debridement involves the removal of devitalised tissue from the wound bed. It also facilitates the removal of biofilms-complex microbial communities that are known to contribute to delayed wound healing and chronicity of wounds. Ultrasonic-assisted wound debridement (UAWD) is a lesser known debridement method that uses low-frequency ultrasound waves. There is evidence to show that the three clinical effects of atraumatic selective tissue debridement, wound stimulatory effects and antibacterial activity facilitate early healing of wounds, reducing the cost to the healthcare system and improving the patient's quality of life.