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Objective: This article highlights challenges of wound care in low resource settings, considering opportunities for frugal innovation and our experiences while creating virtual wound care clinics across two global communities. In addition, we will discuss four real cases presented within the virtual clinics. An adaptation of the widely accepted tissues, infection, moisture, edge, regeneration and repair of tissue, and social factors (TIMERS) wound assessment is also proposed with considerations for low-resource settings. Method: From March to December 2021 the University of Salford engaged in a virtual wound clinic initiative with colleagues in Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital. Results: The clinics provided opportunities for professional and academic development of students on postgraduate tissue viability module in Salford, while empowering nurses and midwives in Uganda in taking their place at the centre of multidisciplinary teams in care delivery Furthermore, it created links between the university and clinicians in Uganda to develop the delivery of evidence-based wound management. Throughout this period, challenges associated with low resources were highlighted and, in some cases, innovative approaches to managing wound care were adopted to account for this. Conclusions: The development and delivery of the virtual wound care clinics between the University of Salford and Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital provided an opportunity for reflection on practice. This led to development of a Fit4purpose wound dressing, revision of evidence-based guidelines, deeper understanding of the scarcity of essential items and frugal practice, and examination of skin tone bias in the signs and symptoms of wound infection in patients with dark skin tones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: Surveillance of wound infection including signs of infection alongside antimicrobial usage (types, duration, frequency) can highlight knowledge gaps and inconsistencies. This manuscript aims to highlight these, identify and inform opportunities for practice improvement and to show impact of infection management practice may be having on the issue of antimicrobial resistance. Background: Infected wounds pose challenges to healthcare professionals. Balancing risk of wound deterioration and progression to systemic infection with appropriate use of antimicrobials is necessary to minimise development of resistance. Methods: Analysis consisted of a practice survey of 9661 wounds across 70 community sites over a period of one week. Data were collected from projects between 2017 and 2020. The form was available to providers within the UK, Ireland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland. EQUATOR research guidelines were followed; STROBE checklist for observational research reporting was completed. Results: Infection rates of 8.9% were reported from wounds assessed. These data indicate inconsistencies with diagnosis across practice with non‐specialists more likely to be unsure of wound infection. Greater confidence in infection identification was observed as number of signs increased. Inconsistencies were also observed in appropriate treatment; antimicrobials were used in 35% of wounds considered not infected and not used in 41% of wounds that were identified as infected. Conclusions: This investigation of infection management practice of over 9000 wounds provides an insight into diagnosis and treatment of infection. Inconsistencies in diagnosis and treatment of wound infections reported highlight the need for increased education, awareness of diagnosis and treatment of infection. Relevance to clinical practice: Variability in management of infected wounds highlights opportunities to aid more effective diagnosis and treatment of infected wounds. Incorporation of support tools or evidence‐based pathways into practice may enhance confidence in management of local infection, balanced with appropriate use, potentially minimising resistance and improving outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The National Wound Care Strategy Programme states there are a number of unwarranted variations within wound care across the UK leading to elongated healing times, heightened patient suffering, escalation of costs and increased burden to wound care services. There has been discussion and exploration surrounding the lack of equity across the UK in relation to practitioners being able to access to tissue viability skills and knowledge. The Tissue Viability Leading Change Framework (TVLC) is a framework to assist healthcare practitioners, and those aspiring to work in tissue viability/wound care, to understand the skills and knowledge required in this specialist area of care. TVLC includes 13 different capabilities presented on an online platform. To ascertain which of the 13 capabilities was deemed most important to the user, a survey was distributed to a group of clinicians during the Wounds UK annual conference 2022 aiming to gain greater understanding of the needs and focus of clinical practitioners currently working within the field of wound care. Declaration of interest: The creation of TVLC Framework was supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Urgo Medical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This unique evaluation aimed to estimate, the financial impact of non‐attendance on a nation‐wide hospital lymphoedema service. Along with gaining some understanding of patient characteristics of those who Did Not Attend (DNA) and were subsequently discharged. The evaluation design interrogated existing performance data from 2012 to 2022. This information was used to estimate the costs incurred based on national published sources and pay scales. Staffing costs of over £1.1 m in one decade related to the financial impact of over 23 000 unattended lymphoedema appointments. The characteristics of 870 patients from 2019/2020 were also evaluated suggesting that those with a wound alongside complex lymphoedema were less likely to DNA appointments. Two‐thirds of patients were managing two or more comorbidities—obesity, cardiac conditions and diabetes being the most common. It seems likely that some DNAs are avoidable by adapting appointment administrative processes and greater understanding of patients' perception of value. However, the reasons for DNA are likely to be varied and nuanced so potentially a small proportion are unavoidable. Modernising appointment processes and identifying patient value may help minimise DNA costs in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To report the experience of civilian penetrating neck trauma (PNT) at a UK level I trauma centre, propose an initial management algorithm and assess the degree of correlation between clinical signs of injury, operative findings and radiological reports. Design: Retrospective case note review. Setting: UK level I trauma centre April 2012–November 2017. Participants: Three hundred ten cases of PNT were drawn from electronic patient records. Data were extracted on hard and soft signs of vascular or aerodigestive tract injury, clinical management, radiological imaging and patient outcomes. Main outcome measures: Patient demographics, mechanism of injury, morbidity and mortality. The correlation between clinical signs, and radiological reports to internal injury on surgical exploration. Results: Two hundred seventy‐one (87.4%) male and 39 (13.6%) female patients with a mean age of 36 years (16–87) were identified. The most common causes of injury were assault 171 (55.2%) and deliberate self‐harm 118 (38%). A knife was the most common instrument 240 (77.4%). Past psychiatric history was noted in 119 (38.4%), and 60 (19.4%) were intoxicated. 50% were definitively managed in theatre with a negative exploration rate of 38%, and 50% were managed in ED. Pre‐operative radiological reports correlated with operative reports in 62% of cases with venous injury the most common positive and negative finding. Multivariate correlation was r = 0.89, p = 0.045, between hard signs plus positive radiology findings and internal injury on neck exploration. Conclusions: Management of PNT by clinical and radiological signs is safe and effective, and can be streamlined by a decision‐making algorithm as proposed here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a soluble beta-glucan-containing gel as short-term adjunct therapy in the treatment of hard-to-heal wounds in a UK community health-care setting. Methods: A comparative clinical evaluation involving consecutive patients treated for up to eight weeks with a beta-glucan-containing gel as adjunct to standard care. This was compared with consecutive patients as retrospective controls, and using the same standard care protocol from a year previously. The inclusion criteria was wounds that were slow-healing or stalled (<40% healing in four weeks). Results: A total of 300 patients took part. Complete follow-up at 24 weeks was available for 144 patients in the beta-glucan group, and 136 patients in the standard care group. At 24 weeks, the beta-glucan group had a 96% healing rate compared with 75% in the standard care group (p<0.001). The improvement in healing was associated with a reduction in the mean number of weeks of treatment per patient (7.2 and 10.7 for beta-glucan and standard care, respectively), and a reduction in the mean cost of treatment (£576 versus £685 for beta-glucan and standard care, respectively). Treatment costs included nursing time, prescription medications and dressings. In a subset of ulcer wounds (50% of the full sample), at 24 weeks the beta-glucan group had a 92% healing rate compared with 46% in the standard care group (p<0.001). Mean weeks of treatment were 10.4 versus 17.6, leading to a reduction in treatment cost of £388 per patient (£1227 versus £839) over 24 weeks. Conclusion: The results of this evaluation suggest that short-term use of the beta-glucan gel as an adjunct to standard care on slow-healing wounds can shorten healing times and reduce NHS costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the treatment of facial wounds in early modern Britain through a close study of the casebook of St Bartholomew's Hospital surgeon Joseph Binns (d. 1664). It explores surgeons' and related practitioners' special attention to the care and infliction of facial wounds and scarring in their practice, including impairments to facial movement and expression, the use of specific suturing techniques and the reduced use of stitches, and the development of agglutinative medicaments. The face was recognised as a site of immense vulnerability and exposure, requiring particular care, and this vulnerability was mirrored in the capacity for facial scarring to detrimentally advertise a practitioner's skill. This essay reads Binns' unpublished notes against the cases and theoretical ideals set out in published texts from surgeons such as the Scottish Alexander Read, the East India Company surgeon John Woodall, and the London surgeon and physician Daniel Turner. I argue that both the textbooks and Binns' practice demonstrate awareness of the special role of the face in the early modern period, and that this guided the medical approach to disfiguring injuries and conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to estimate the patterns of care and annual levels of health care resource use attributable to managing diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) in clinical practice by the UK's National Health Service (NHS), and the associated costs of patient management. This was a retrospective cohort analysis of the records of 130 patients with a newly diagnosed DFU in The Health Improvement Network (THIN) database. Patients' characteristics, wound‐related health outcomes and health care resource use were quantified, and the total NHS cost of patient management was estimated at 2015–2016 prices. Patients were predominantly managed in the community by nurses, with minimal clinical involvement of specialist physicians. 5% of patients saw a podiatrist, and 5% received a pressure‐offloading device. Additionally, 17% of patients had at least one amputation within the first 12 months from initial presentation of their DFU. 14% of DFUs were documented as being clinically infected at initial presentation, although an additional 31% of patients were prescribed an antimicrobial dressing at the time of presentation. Of all the DFUs, 35% healed within 12 months, and the mean time to healing was 4·4 months. Over the study period, 48% of all patients received at least one prescription for a compression system, but significantly more patients healed if they never received compression (67% versus 16%; P < 0·001). The mean NHS cost of wound care over 12 months was an estimated £7800 per DFU (of which 13% was attributable to amputations), ranging from £2140 to £8800 per healed and unhealed DFU, respectively, and £16 900 per amputated wound. Consolidated medical records from a primary care held database provided ‘real‐world evidence’ highlighting the consequences of inefficient and inadequate management of DFUs in clinical practice in the UK. Clinical and economic benefits to both patients and the NHS could accrue from strategies that focus on (i) wound prevention, (ii) improving wound‐healing rates and (iii) reducing infection and amputation rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to estimate the patterns of care and annual levels of health care resource use attributable to managing venous leg ulcers (VLUs) in clinical practice by the UK's National Health Service (NHS) and the associated costs of patient management. This was a retrospective cohort analysis of the records of 505 patients in The Health Improvement Network (THIN) Database. Patients' characteristics, wound‐related health outcomes and health care resource use were quantified, and the total NHS cost of patient management was estimated at 2015/2016 prices. Overall, 53% of all VLUs healed within 12 months, and the mean time to healing was 3·0 months. 13% of patients were never prescribed any recognised compression system, and 78% of their wounds healed. Of the 87% who were prescribed a recognised compression system, 52% of wounds healed. Patients were predominantly managed in the community by nurses with minimal clinical involvement of specialist clinicians. Up to 30% of all the VLUs may have been clinically infected at the time of presentation, and only 22% of patients had an ankle brachial pressure index documented in their records. The mean NHS cost of wound care over 12 months was an estimated £7600 per VLU. However, the cost of managing an unhealed VLU was 4·5 times more than that of managing a healed VLU (£3000 per healed VLU and £13 500 per unhealed VLU). This study provides important insights into a number of aspects of VLU management in clinical practice that have been difficult to ascertain from other studies and provides the best estimate available of NHS resource use and costs with which to inform policy and budgetary decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the UK, dressings are categorised as medical devices and manufacturers only have to provide limited evidence of effectiveness before dressings are used in clinical practice. Therefore, evidence based on clinical trial methods is scant. As a direct result, governing bodies in the UK are now recommending that decisions to select one dressing over another could mainly be made on price. Placed within the movement critiquing evidence-based practice (EBP), this paper summarises the main issues surrounding the generation of evidence in selecting dressings for wound care, which is immersed in a context that lacks resources, legislative clarity and freedom to choose methodological alternatives. Dressings are therapeutic medical devices rather than consumables and any rationalisation based on costs may have far-reaching implications for wound care clinicians through purchasing decisions and thus may limit their ability to manage wounds effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To estimate the patterns of care and related resource use attributable to managing acute and chronic wounds among a catchment population of a typical clinical commissioning group (CCG)/ health board and corresponding National Health Service (NHS) costs in the UK. Method: This was a sub-analysis of a retrospective cohort analysis of the records of 2000 patients in The Health Improvement Network (THIN) database. Patients' characteristics, wound-related health outcomes and health-care resource use were quantified for an average CCG/health board with a catchment population of 250,000 adults ≥18 years of age, and the corresponding NHS cost of patient management was estimated at 2013/2014 prices. Results: An average CCG/health board was estimated to be managing 11,200 wounds in 2012/2013. Of these, 40% were considered to be acute wounds, 48% chronic and 12% lacking any specific diagnosis. The prevalence of acute, chronic and unspecified wounds was estimated to be growing at the rate of 9%, 12% and 13% per annum respectively. Our analysis indicated that the current rate of wound healing must increase by an average of at least 1% per annum across all wound types in order to slow down the increasing prevalence. Otherwise, an average CCG/health board is predicted to manage ~23,200 wounds per annum by 2019/2020 and is predicted to spend a discounted (the process of determining the present value of a payment that is to be received in the future) £50 million on managing these wounds and associated comorbidities. Conclusion: Real-world evidence highlights the substantial burden that acute and chronic wounds impose on an average CCG/health board. Strategies are required to improve the accuracy of diagnosis and healing rates. Declaration of interest: The study's sponsors had no involvement in the study design, the collection, analysis and interpretation of the data, the writing of this manuscript and the decision to submit this article for publication. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), the Department of Health, or any of the other sponsors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the work of a team of community nurses running a primary care drop-in centre. As well as a full range of clinic services, the team sees a lot of leg ulcer patients for compression bandaging. A common problem with traditional compression bandaging is the amount of time that community nurses have to spend on the procedure, as well as the dangers of maintaining pressure and bandage slippage between dressing appointments, which can result in discomfort for patients and even skin damage in some cases. This also has implications for patient concordance. This article looks at a review by the team of a new compression system (juxtacures®; medi UK), which offers measurable and adjustable compression and a greater involvement by patients in their own care, which in turn can minimise the time nurses need to spend on dressing changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to estimate the patterns of care and annual levels of health care resource use attributable to the management of different wound types by the UK's National Health Service ( NHS) in 2012/2013 and the annual costs incurred by the NHS in managing them. This was a retrospective cohort analysis of the records of 2000 patients in The Health Improvement Network ( THIN) Database. Patients' characteristics, wound-related health outcomes and all health care resource use were quantified, and the total NHS cost of patient management was estimated at 2013/2014 prices. The NHS managed an estimated 2·2 million patients with a wound during 2012/2013. Patients were predominantly managed in the community by general practitioners (GPs) and nurses. The annual NHS cost varied between £1·94 billion for managing 731 000 leg ulcers and £89·6 million for managing 87 000 burns, and associated comorbidities. Sixty-one percent of all wounds were shown to heal in an average year. Resource use associated with managing the unhealed wounds was substantially greater than that of managing the healed wounds (e.g. 20% more practice nurse visits, 104% more community nurse visits). Consequently, the annual cost of managing wounds that healed in the study period was estimated to be £2·1 billion compared with £3·2 billion for the 39% of wounds that did not heal within the study year. Within the study period, the cost per healed wound ranged from £698 to £3998 per patient and that of an unhealed wound ranged from £1719 to £5976 per patient. Hence, the patient care cost of an unhealed wound was a mean 135% more than that of a healed wound. Real-world evidence highlights the substantial burden that wounds impose on the NHS in an average year. Clinical and economic benefits to both patients and the NHS could accrue from strategies that focus on (a) wound prevention, (b) accurate diagnosis and (c) improving wound-healing rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines Melissa Pritchard's novella 'Captain Brown and the Royal Victoria Military Hospital' (2011) in its reimagining of the once famous but now demolished major Victorian military hospital of the title. I argue that the Royal Victoria offers a fitting illustration of the conflicted position the legacy of the Victorian scientific past occupies in the present and show how this legacy is explored in Pritchard's story. This conflicted position is layered with a further paradox in the narrative, as the novella picks up the historical thread of the Royal Victoria at the point of its 1944 take-over by the United States Navy as part of Operation Overlord. The novella's return to this 1940s setting is therefore operated via the lens of the Victorian scientific past, a conflation of two distinct time frames which is marked by the deployment of an array of gothic images in the text. Yet, if the neo-Victorian medical gothic mode of the story conveys the lingering, haunting presence of the Victorian scientific past, I show how such ghostly presence is dismissed to be replaced by the more powerful spectre of the Second World War's unresolved legacies in the twenty-first century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic oedema is a common problem in the UK and, given the country's ageing population, the numbers are predicted to rise. In an epidemiological study carried out in Derby, England, researchers found the prevalence of chronic oedema to be 3.99 in every 1000 people, with the prevalence increasing to 10.31 in those aged 65-74 years. Often, patients with untreated chronic oedema will develop an ulceration that can lead to further costs and hospital admissions. The cost of treating chronic wounds has been estimated at £2.3 billion-£3.1 billion a year. It is therefore surprising that given the number of patients living with these problems, there is still a lack of knowledge and skill among nurses when assessing patients with chronic oedema and associated ulceration. This article offers advice for nurses when assessing leg ulcers in patients with chronic oedema, detailing the visual skin changes most frequently seen in these patients. The article also discusses some of the treatment options available, briefly covering the advantages and disadvantages of each option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the use of a foam dressing for exudate management in both chronic and acute wounds, such as surgical wounds, pressure ulcers, diabetic ulcers, trauma wounds, and leg ulcers. The primary objective of the study was to observe patients' wound progression in terms of wound size and the condition of the wound bed, when using this foam dressing as either a primary or secondary dressing. The outcome of the evaluation demonstrated that ActivHeal Foam Contact dressing effectively managed exudate. It was also observed that the dressing can assist in autolysis and support improvements in peri-wound status. Choosing an appropriate dressing to manage a wound is essential. Clinicians working in the NHS are under pressure to deliver good-quality clinical outcomes, and the ActivHeal Foam Contact dressing supports this outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research has started to identify mood disorders and problems associated with acute and chronic wounds, which have been shown to contribute to delayed healing, poor patient well-being and a reduced quality of life. Furthermore, mood disorders have been shown to have a negative impact on financial costs for service providers and the wider society in terms of treatment and sickness absence. This study aimed to survey a multinational sample of health professionals to explore their perspective and awareness of mood disorders amongst acute and chronic wound patients. Responses were received from n = 908 health professionals working in Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, North America and South America. A strong awareness of the prevalence of mood disorders appeared to be widespread among the health professionals across the world, in addition to a view on the potential factors contributing to these problems with mood. Despite this, it was thought that few patients were actually receiving treatment for their mood disorders. Implications for clinical practice include the need for health professionals to engage actively with their patients to enable them to learn from their experiences. Studies that explore the benefits of treatments and techniques appropriate for minimising mood disorders in patients with wounds would provide empirical evidence for health professionals to make recommendations for patients with acute and chronic wounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The Open-Fracture Patient Evaluation Nationwide (OPEN) study was performed to provide clarity in open fracture management previously skewed by small, specialist centre studies and large, unfocused registry investigations. We report the current management metrics of open fractures across the UK., Method: Patients admitted to hospital with an open fracture (excluding phalanges or isolated hand injuries) between 1 June 2021 and 30 September 2021 were included. Institutional information governance approval was obtained at the lead site and all data entered using Research Electronic Data Capture software. All domains of the British Orthopaedic Association Standard for Open Fracture Management were recorded., Results: Across 51 centres, 1,175 patients were analyzed. Antibiotics were given to 754 (69.0%) in the emergency department, 240 (22.0%) pre-hospital, and 99 (9.1%) as inpatients. Wounds were photographed in 848 (72.7%) cases. Median time to first surgery was 16 hrs 14 mins (interquartile range (IQR) 8 hrs 29 mins to 23 hrs 19 mins). Complex injuries were operated on sooner (median 12 hrs 51 mins (IQR 4 hrs 36 mins to 21 hrs 14 mins)). Of initial procedures, 1,053 (90.3%) occurred between 8am and 8pm. A consultant orthopaedic surgeon was present at 1,039 (89.2%) first procedures. In orthoplastic centres, a consultant plastic surgeon was present at 465 (45.1%) first procedures. Overall, 706 (60.8%) patients required a single operation. At primary debridement, 798 (65.0%) fractures were definitively fixed, while 734 (59.8%) fractures had fixation and coverage in one operation through direct closure or soft-tissue coverage. Negative pressure wound therapy was used in 235 (67.7%) staged procedures. Following wound closure or soft-tissue cover, 509 (47.0%) patients received antibiotics for a median of three days (IQR 1 to 7)., Conclusion: OPEN provides an insight into care across the UK and different levels of hospital for open fractures. Patients are predominantly operated on promptly, in working hours, and at specialist centres. Areas for improvement include combined patient review and follow-up, scheduled operating, earlier definitive soft-tissue cover, and more robust antibiotic husbandry.Cite this article: Bone Joint J  2022;104-B(9):1073-1080.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to estimate the patterns of care and annual levels of healthcare resource use attributable to managing pressure ulcers (PUs) in clinical practice in the community by the UK's National Health Service (NHS), and the associated costs of patient management., Methods: This was a retrospective cohort analysis of the records of 209 patients identified within a randomly selected population of 6000 patients with any type of wound obtained from The Health Improvement Network (THIN) Database, who developed a PU in the community and excluded hospital-acquired PUs. Patients' characteristics, wound-related health outcomes and healthcare resource use were quantified over 12 months from initial presentation, and the corresponding total NHS cost of patient management was estimated at 2015/2016 prices., Results: 50% of all the PUs healed within 12 months from initial presentation, but this varied between 100% for category 1 ulcers and 21% for category 4 ulcers. The mean time to healing ranged from 1.0 month for a category 1 ulcer to 8 months for a category 3/4 ulcer and 10 months for an unstageable ulcer. Patients were predominantly managed in the community by nurses with minimal clinical involvement of specialist clinicians. Up to 53% of all the ulcers may have been clinically infected at the time of presentation, and 35% of patients subsequently developed a putative wound infection a mean 4.7 months after initial presentation. The mean NHS cost of wound care over 12 months ranged from £1400 for a category 1 ulcer to >£8500 for the other categories of ulcer. Additionally, the cost of managing an unhealed ulcer was 2.4 times more than that of managing a healed ulcer (mean of £5140 vs £12 300 per ulcer)., Conclusion: This study provides important insights into a number of aspects of PU management in clinical practice in the community that have been difficult to ascertain from other studies, and provides the best estimate available of NHS resource use and costs with which to inform policy and budgetary decisions., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)

This article introduces the important issue of assessing and managing malodour. A literature review was undertaken and implications for practice identified in relation to CliniSorb. This paper presents an up-to-date 10-patient, single-site non-comparative clinical evaluation of CliniSorb using both quantitative and qualitative evidence from patients and clinicians. The data presented in this paper is used to discuss the embarrassing issue of malodour and highlights the importance for the clinician to consider this when planning patient care.