Wound Management: A Practical Guide Seminar

8:30am - Registration and Refreshments

9:00am

Wound Management – The Big Picture

This introductory session looks at modern wound management – the challenges of wounds, trends in care, best-practice resources and how this program will address these issues. Topics include:

• What is the burden of chronic wounds in today’s society?
• What influences wound management in everyday practice?
• Why do best-practice resources significantly help in planning management?
• How will these two days be structured to enhance your knowledge of wound management?

9:45am

An Overview of Wounds and Their Healing

Refresh your knowledge on the process of wound healing and discover the latest information about the factors that influence outcomes. Topics include:

• What is a wound?
• How do wounds heal?
• What delays or prevents healing?

10:30am - Morning Tea and Coffee

11:00am

Principles of Wound Management I: Wound Assessment

Competent assessment of a person with a wound is imperative for correct management. Assessment involves a range of considerations including the wound, the person, and their environment. Topics include:

• What factors are important when assessing a wound?
• How do you document your assessment?
• What role do investigations play?
• How do you determine the wound diagnosis?

11:45am

Principles of Wound Management II: Interventions

Following assessment, goals of care that consider the wound, the person and their environment are identified. Topics include:

• What interventions assist you to meet the identified goals of care?
• What is the role of wound cleansing and debridement?
• How do you prevent and manage inflammation and infection?

12:30pm - Lunch Break and Networking

1:30pm

Principles of Wound Management III: Evaluating Progress

It is essential to monitor wound progress to determine if goals of care are being met. Topics include:

• Strategies for evaluating wound progress
• Addressing the challenges in meeting goals of care
• Identifying alternative pathways to assist when there are difficulties in meeting goals of care

2:15pm - Afternoon Tea and Coffee

2:45pm

Principles of Wound Management IV & V: Dressings

These two sessions will take a function based approach to selecting an appropriate dressing. Topics covered include:

• How wound dressings are classified according to function
• Considerations in dressing selection
• When is it time to modify the dressing regimen?
• How to choose a basic range of products for your workplace

4:15pm - Close of Day One of Seminar

9:00am - Commencement of Day Two

9:00am

Venous and Arterial Leg Ulcers

Leg ulcers are very common, particularly in the older population. Many clinicians lack the confidence to assess and manage these wounds.This session will clarify how to manage leg ulcers according to the evidence for best outcomes. Topics include:

• What causes leg ulcers?
• What is the difference between a venous and an arterial ulcer and why is this differentiation very important?
• How do mixed ulcers manifest?
• What is the current best practice for leg ulcer management?

9:45am

Compression Therapy

Compression therapy is the cornerstone of venous leg ulcer management; however, it is often underutilized and poorly implemented. This session will describe the underlying principles of compression therapy and provide guidance for venous ulcer management. Topics Include:

• What types of compression are available?
• What level of compression is required?
• What risks are associated with this therapy?

10:30am - Morning Tea and Coffee

11:00am

Pressure Injury

Despite there being national and international standards relating to the prevention of pressure injury, they remain highly prevalent. This session will provide the relevant knowledge and identify resources to assist practitioners to meet these standards. Topics include:

• What strategies can be used to prevent pressure injury?
• How do I know it's a pressure injury – including staging?

11:45am

High Risk Feet

Foot wounds as a result of complications associated with diabetes and other pathologies are so common as to be almost epidemic. This session focuses on the effects that neuropathies and peripheral arterial disease have and why these cause so many problems once a wound develops. Topics include:

• How do foot pathologies impact on the development of a wound and wound healing?
• What are the wound management implications for people with foot wounds?
• What is the role of interprofessional management?

12:30pm - Lunch Break and Networking

1:30pm

Acute Wounds

This session will look briefly at a range of acute wounds. Topics include:

• General principles of acute wound management
• Minor burns
• Skin tears
• Surgical wound management

2:15pm

Non Healing Wounds

Not all wounds will heal. This may be for patient, wound or environment factors. This may be confronting for practitioners. Topics include:

• Setting realistic outcomes
• An overview of common factors that might result in a non-healing wound
• Managing a wound where healing is not the goal

3:00pm - Afternoon Tea and Coffee

3:30pm

Putting It All Together

Having followed a case through for these two days, exploring systems and clinical interventions this session will:

• Provide the opportunity to consolidate your seminar learning into practice
• Identify strategies for sharing knowledge with colleagues
• Connect you with resources

4:15pm - Close of Seminar and Evaluations