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ABSTRACT
2009 WOCN CONFERENCE
Will This Wound Heal? The Development of a Nutritional Assessment Tool for Utilization in the Evaluation of Wound Healing
Purpose
The relationship between nutrition and wound healing has been well established by a variety of disciplines including plastic surgery, nutrition and dietetics, pharmacology, biochemistry, and wound care specialties. In the presence of malnutrition there is increased likelihood of pressure ulcer development, wound dehiscence, delayed healing, and infection. Even though it is well accepted that wounds do not typically do well in the presence of poor nutrition, there is no current gold standard for the systematic, objective evaluation of nutritional status and wound healing probability. This poster will propose a tool for the evaluation of nutritional status and the likelihood of wound healing. This tool will be user friendly, have broad application, and serve as a basis for research to evaluate the effectiveness and reliability of using such a tool across a variety of settings.
Objectives
If this tool proves through research to be reliable in the prediction of wound healing in relation to nutritional status, decisions affecting patient and practioner goals may be structured in a more definitive manner. This tool may enhance collaboration of disciplines across the continuum of care involved in the care of patients with wounds. The importance of nutritional status in persons with wounds may receive more attention when there is a well defined set of parameters to serve as a guide in goal setting and intervention implementation. The development of a nutritional assessment tool for utilization in the evaluation of wound healing may be the beginning of much needed research and development in this vital area.
2009 WOCN CONFERENCE
Will This Wound Heal? The Development of a Nutritional Assessment Tool for Utilization in the Evaluation of Wound Healing
Purpose
The relationship between nutrition and wound healing has been well established by a variety of disciplines including plastic surgery, nutrition and dietetics, pharmacology, biochemistry, and wound care specialties. In the presence of malnutrition there is increased likelihood of pressure ulcer development, wound dehiscence, delayed healing, and infection. Even though it is well accepted that wounds do not typically do well in the presence of poor nutrition, there is no current gold standard for the systematic, objective evaluation of nutritional status and wound healing probability. This poster will propose a tool for the evaluation of nutritional status and the likelihood of wound healing. This tool will be user friendly, have broad application, and serve as a basis for research to evaluate the effectiveness and reliability of using such a tool across a variety of settings.
Objectives
- Develop a tool to assess nutritional status and wound healing probability.
- Present this tool as a stimulus for additional research in the area.
If this tool proves through research to be reliable in the prediction of wound healing in relation to nutritional status, decisions affecting patient and practioner goals may be structured in a more definitive manner. This tool may enhance collaboration of disciplines across the continuum of care involved in the care of patients with wounds. The importance of nutritional status in persons with wounds may receive more attention when there is a well defined set of parameters to serve as a guide in goal setting and intervention implementation. The development of a nutritional assessment tool for utilization in the evaluation of wound healing may be the beginning of much needed research and development in this vital area.