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Qualified nurses are accountable for selecting a suitable containment product for care home residents, which can be challenging for both the resident and health professional. Absorbent incontinence products are the most commonly used products for containing leakage. The purpose of this observational study was to review and understand how effective the Attends Product Selector Tool is when used to assess a resident for an appropriate disposable incontinence product and the in-use experience of products in relation to containment, product use and effectiveness. The study was undertaken in three care homes, with 92 residents who had an initial assessment undertaken either by an Attends Product Manager or a nurse trained in how to use the tool. A total of 316 products over a 48-hour period were individually assessed by the observer to check the time the pad was changed, the type of pad used, the voided volume in the pad and if the pad had leaked. The results showed that some residents had their products changed inappropriately. Not all residents were using the products that best suited their assessment; this mostly occurred at night. Overall, the tool was effective in enabling staff to select an appropriate style of containment product. However, when it came to selecting the absorbency, the assessor tended to choose a higher absorbency rather than starting at the lower absorbency in the product guide range. The observer found the assessed product was not always used and was sometimes changed inappropriately due to lack of communication and staff turnover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the wide range of absorbent incontinence products available, it is crucial to select the most suitable product for individuals with incontinence, ensuring that their expectations are met and their quality of life is not compromised. Aim: This study aimed to assess the key features of the newly introduced MoliCare Premium Elastic product by nurses working with residents with incontinence in nursing homes and compare the product characteristics with those of the previous design. Methods: Forty-three nurses from five nursing homes in Germany were asked to complete a questionnaire focusing on key product performance aspects to elicit their views on the use of MoliCare Premium Elastic products. Findings: All performance features of the new product design received positive ratings from most nurses: 84% considered the overall acceptance of the new design as 'Good', and 52% preferred the new MoliCare Premium Elastic. Conclusions: The new MoliCare SkinGuard absorbent core technology performed well on each performance characteristic, demonstrating the high quality of the product and its ability to meet the needs of people with incontinence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Incontinence is a common disorder among older adults with a higher prevalence in nursing home settings than in community dwellings. There is a wide variety of absorbent continence products on the market used to manage continence. Aim: The study aimed to investigate the experience of caregivers of residents with incontinence in care home settings using the new MoliCare Premium Form design and to compare some of the product features with the previous design. Method: A questionnaire focusing on the key performance characteristics of the product was developed and administered to 74 nurses in Germany to obtain their opinions on the use of MoliCare Premium Form products. Findings: More than 90% of respondents rated each key performance aspect of the new product design as 'good' and 'OK'. More than 60% of the caregivers found the new product design to be better performing and 93% preferred the new design to the previous version. Conclusion: The newly redesigned continence pad performed very well on each of the individual performance features, indicating the high quality and optimised design of the product. The new design was found to be suitable and effective for individuals with incontinence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The annual cost to the NHS of managing 3.8 million patients with a wound was estimated in 2020 to be £8.3 billion, of which £5.6 billion was spent on the 30% of wounds that did not heal and £2.7 billion on the 70% of wounds that healed (Guest, 2020). One of the main symptoms associated with chronic 'hard-to-heal' wounds is the production of excess exudate (Atkin et al, 2019). This is due to a prolonged chronic inflammatory response stimulated by a physiological cause. This article describes what exudate is and its importance in the wound healing process, highlighting the consequences of too little or excessive wound exudate associated with any wound. The article goes on to describe a case series observational study involving a range of patients (n=47; 33 male/14 female), aged between 33 and 91 years (mean 67.4 years), with a variety of acute (n=11) and chronic exuding wounds (n=44). In total, 55 wounds of various aetiologies were managed with DryMax Super (a dressing whose design includes superabsorbent polymers) in order to evaluate and report on the absorption and fluid-handling properties of the product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dressing choice can be challenging for clinicians, with many different product types and makes now available. The cost of wound care products is 93% higher for unhealed wounds than for those that heal, so planning appropriate care is essential. Wound care planning requires wound assessment and identification of the aim of care. In turn, this supports dressing selection. Using an assessment framework can help ensure that this is done in a structured way. Reassessment and review of the care plan at agreed intervals is also recommended. In addition to the aim of care, other factors influence the choice of dressing. These include local formulary requirements and allergies and sensitivities. An extensive range of dressings is available and these can be grouped into 10 types: hydrocolloid; wound contact layer; hydrogel; gelling fibre; alginate; foam; absorbent pads; film; odour absorbent; and antimicrobial. Clinicians should use available resources to support decision making and consider continuity of care when selecting the dressing to be used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Between 8 and 87% of prostatectomies result in urinary incontinence, with around half of patients using incontinence pads daily at 6 months. Specialist urology continence nurses at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals (NNUH) NHS Foundation Trust created a pre- and post-surgical care pathway formalising support for these patients, which involves the provision of TENA Men (Essity) male incontinence pads. Aims: This audit aimed to assess patient satisfaction with this pathway and TENA Men pads. Methods: Patients who underwent a radical prostatectomy at NNUH between 27 April and 9 November 2021 and who required continence pads were invited to fill out an online anonymous mixed-method (mainly qualitative) survey. Results: Of 28 respondents, 71% reported incontinence after their surgical catheter was removed. Most (89%) were satisfied with the preoperative advice. Of 19 respondents to questions on confidence and satisfaction, 16 were confident that the pads they had been prescribed were helping them to manage urinary leakage, and 16 were confident or very confident that they could manage their incontinence themselves. Generally, respondents were confident that their overall and mental health had improved, and most were confident or very confident that they had less anxiety. However, less than a quarter of respondents were 'very confident' about going out, meeting people or exercising. All but one respondent found TENA Men pads easy to fit, and the most used words in the free-text explanations of what they most liked, included 'easy', 'discreet', 'comfortable' and 'unobtrusive'. Conclusion: The clinical pathway helped give patients undergoing radical prostatectomy confidence in their ability to manage post-surgery incontinence themselves and could be of value in other hospitals. Easy access to incontinence pads designed for the male anatomy has an important part in this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Urinary incontinence is a common and impactful condition. Despite the availability of incontinence pads specifically designed for the male form, many men use pads designed to fit the female anatomy. Aim: This clinical audit-based study compares female/unisex and male incontinence pads in male community patients with urinary incontinence. Method: A survey was used to collect Likert-scale data on overall satisfaction and satisfaction with specific aspects of female/unisex and male incontinence pads, as well as with their health and wellbeing and situation and attitudes before and after intervention. Qualitative data were collected on positive features of, reasons for dissatisfaction with and suggested changes to each pad. Results: Among 18 participants, and in all but one domain, satisfaction scores were higher for male pads overall, with the greatest increases in score (1-5) for physical coverage of genital area (1.5), ability to hold urine without leaks (1.4) and level of comfort when wet (1.3). Using a male pad had a positive impact on participants' sense of health and wellbeing. Positive qualitative feedback focused on comfort, ease of use and reliability, as well as the anatomical fit of the male pad. Conclusions: Sex-specific fit is an important factor in the acceptability of an incontinence pad for men with urinary incontinence. Wearing pads specifically designed for the male anatomy provides men with a greater sense of comfort and confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Specialist nurses are leading the way in many different aspects of urology care and share their insights in this supplement [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides guidance on how professionals may address the gender gap in urinary continence care. Topics covered include the definition of urinary incontinence by the International Continence Society, complications arising from urinary incontinence such as urinary tract infections, loss of dignity, and loss of independence, and barriers to men accessing health care and subsequent complications.

Background: Between 8% and 87% of prostatectomies result in urinary incontinence, with around half of patients using incontinence pads daily at 6 months. Specialist urology continence nurses at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust created a pre- and post-surgical care pathway formalising support for these patients, which involves the provision of TENA Men (Essity) male incontinence pads. Aims: This audit aimed to assess patient satisfaction with this pathway and TENA Men pads. Methods: Patients who underwent a radical prostatectomy at NNUH between 27 April and 9 November 2021 and who required continence pads were invited to fill out an online anonymous mixed-method (mainly qualitative) survey. Results: Of 28 respondents, 71% reported incontinence after their surgical catheter was removed. Most (89%) were satisfied with the preoperative advice. Of 19 respondents to questions on confidence and satisfaction, 16 were confident that the pads they had been prescribed were helping them to manage urinary leakage, and 16 were confident or very confident that they could manage their incontinence themselves. Generally, respondents were confident that their overall and mental health had improved, and most were confident or very confident that they had less anxiety. However, less than a quarter of respondents were 'very confident' about going out, meeting people or exercising. All but one respondent found TENA Men pads easy to fit, and the most used words in the free-text explanations of what they most included 'easy', 'discreet', 'comfortable' and 'unobtrusive'. Conclusion: The clinical pathway helped give patients undergoing radical prostatectomy confidence in their ability to manage post-surgery incontinence themselves and could be of value in other hospitals. Easy access to incontinence pads designed for the male anatomy has an important part in this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Many patients with COVID-19 admitted to intensive care undergo prone positioning. These patients are at risk of developing facial pressure ulcers (PUs). This study aimed to identify evidence-based recommendations to prevent or reduce their incidence. Method: A multi-case study was undertaken using secondary data published between November 2020 and April 2021 discussing facial PUs in patients with COVID-19. CINAHL and MEDLINE electronic databases were analysed. Sixteen publications met the inclusion criteria. The overall quality of evidence was low. Result: Studies reported a high incidence of facial PUs. The evidence suggests key preventive areas are skin assessment, pressure-redistribution surfaces, eye coverings, education, medical devices and prophylactic dressings. Recommendations included skin cleaning and moisturising, eye coverings, replacing endotracheal tube holders and using hydrocolloid or film dressings. Conclusion: Considering the severe implications for patients and healthcare systems caused by facial PUs, ICUs should develop strategies to prevent and minimise them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]