Average Cost Related to the In-patient Care of the Enterocutaneous Fistula Patient

Abstract –  

The WOCN Consult service collected data on the hospital expenditures related to WOC nursing care of patients with enterocutaneous or enteroatmospheric (within an abdominal wound) fistulas.

When managing fistulas WOC nurses assessment and treatment plan must address; containing the effluent, maintaining the integrity of the perifistular skin, and controlling odor. Additionally, we must attempt to establish a containment system that allows the patient to be discharged from the hospital. We collected data while caring for (13) fistula patients over (3) months.  Our collected data categories included; supplies used, number of WOC nurse bedside encounters, duration of the bedside encounters, and number of WOC nurses at the bedside. Supplies included; types of pouches and accessories, skin treatment products, and negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT). We did not quantify interventions for nutritional needs or medications to slow output or control pain. We did note these related factors, as they affected our collected data. This quantification of supplies and time allowed us to measure the hospital costs of the WOC nurse caring for a fistula patient.