Biomedical subjects

Debbie Norman

Publications and source records attributed to Debbie Norman.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

The use of povidone-iodine in superficial partial-thickness burns.

Infection is of primary concern to those practitioners treating burns patients, as it is one of the primary complications associated with acute wounds and particularly with superficial partial-thickness burns. In the fight to reduce the risks, many practitioners deploy common antimicrobials agents prophylactically to help reduce risks, e.g. povidone-iodine. This review will examine the evidence to support this practice. The deployment of povidone-iodine in wound care is highly controversial, with questions being raised concerning not only the effectiveness of the product but also its safety and effect on wound healing. The use of povidone-iodine has been investigated both in vitro and in vivo, resulting in conflicting and often contradictory results. Of the work completed to date, researchers have failed to identify or control for extraneous variables which makes it difficult to compare and interpret research findings. The potential benefits or harm that the use of povidone-iodine may elicit in acute wounds is yet to be established.

Anti-Infective Agents, Local↗

PubMed2003

Balancing cost-effectiveness with quality in tissue viability.

The 21st century has seen an increase in the importance placed on the skills of healthcare practitioners. They now need to be able to demonstrate cost-effectiveness and balance it with quality in the delivery of care in the NHS. This emphasis is driven largely by the emergence of initiatives such as evidence-based practice, clinical governance and cost-effectiveness evaluations. The pressure to demonstrate cost-effective quality practices is becoming more and more prominent in the NHS. This article will discuss the practicalities and implications these pressures have on tissue viability and wound care providers.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The effects of stress on wound healing and leg ulceration.

Stress is a universal phenomenon, which has been the focus of much investigation over the past five decades. Much has been discovered about the physiological responses to stress. This review examines the concept of stress in relation to its effect on wound healing. An online literature search was carried out using the databases Medline, Cinahl and Pubmed and the key words stress and wound healing, and stress and leg ulceration. The rationale for specifically examining leg ulceration resulted from the author's interest in this wound type and also the volume of associated literature on the topic published to date. Stress has been demonstrated to have an adverse effect on a variety of natural resistance responses and specific immunological modifications in animal and man alike, causing, for example, reduced inflammatory response, susceptibility to infection and decreased cytokine production (Cohen et al, 1988; Sheridan et al, 1991). Stress and its effects on growth factor regulation have led theorists to examine whether stress adversely affects wound healing (Glaser et al, 1999). Much of the research as examined acute wounds, although causal inferences may be drawn from the wealth of qualitative research examining the effects of venous ulceration. To date, very little has been conducted in the relatively new area of stress and wound healing. Further investigations are required to prove that stress elicits an immunological response affecting the biological markers of wound healing and thus validates the theory that stress may have a negative impact on healing itself. Causal relationships may be postulated between stress and healing in leg ulceration.

Humans↗