No abstract

In part 1 of this 2-part series, we discussed principles of palliative care to help understand the goals of treatment in developing a plan of care. This article, Part 2, aims to provide knowledge of practical topical wound management by common wound etiologies and symptoms among persons who would benefit from palliative wound care.

Home care nursing occurs in a complex care environment. Nurses working in this setting care for a wide array of individuals who often are sicker and more complex than ever before. The high prevalence of wounds among these individuals requires that home care nurses have a certain level of knowledge to provide excellent care. Many times, individuals with wounds do not have the capacity to heal or are burdened with numerous symptoms affecting quality of life. In these cases, the home care nurse must understand concepts of palliative wound care to alleviate symptoms with the goal of improving quality of life.

Evidence indicates that the use of clean technique for acute wound care is a clinically effective intervention that does not affect the incidence of infection. There is no recommendation that can be made regarding type of dressing technique for a chronic wound due to the lack of evidence in the literature.