Biomedical subjects

Sylvie Hampton

Publications and source records attributed to Sylvie Hampton.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Healing an intractable wound using bio-electrical stimulation therapy.

Clinicians involved in the conservative care of chronic wounds have many treatment interventions from which to choose, including debridement/irrigation, dressings and pressure-relieving devices, to name a few. All are physical treatments that create an ideal wound healing environment. Unfortunately, many wounds heal very slowly, do not heal, or worsen. This situation relates to the woman in this case study who had a non-healing leg ulcer for 12 months. One of the interventions commonly used to treat chronic wounds is bio-electrical stimulation therapy (BEST), and the rationale for use of this method is based on the fact that the human body has an endogenous bioelectric system that enhances healing of bone fractures and soft-tissue wounds. When the body's endogenous bioelectric system fails and cannot contribute to wound repair processes, therapeutic levels of electrical current may be delivered into the wound tissue from an external source.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2005

Reducing pressure ulcer incidence in a long-term setting.

Selection of appropriate pressure prevention equipment relies on risk assessment and clinical assessment of the resident/patient. Decisions are then made in combination with manufacturer's recommendations, such as interface pressure testing. However, risk assessments can over-predict and laboratory investigations do not necessarily provide an accurate picture of how individual patients will react to pressures from support surfaces. There are few studies on visco-elastic mattresses and their benefits in reducing pressure ulcer incidence. Therefore, a small study was undertaken to review the efficacy of a pressure-reducing visco-elastic foam mattress. For the benefit of the study, a 20-bedded nursing home was provided with 20 visco-elastic mattresses (Pressurease) and 20 pressure-reducing cushions (Mediform Visco). The study aimed to demonstrate a reduction in pressure ulcer prevalence. The study involved 21 residents over a 6-month period. There was a 53.8% prevalence (of Stirling grade 1-2 pressure damage) at trial initiation. The results showed an 85.7% decrease of pressure ulcers within 4 weeks, and an overall decrease of 82.5% over the 6-month period. Comfort levels, scored by residents on a visual analogue scale, demonstrated the Pressurease mattress to be superior to the nursing home standard mattress.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2005

Acti-Glide: a simple method of applying compression hosiery.

Compression hosiery is often worn to help prevent aching legs and swollen ankles, to prevent ulceration, to treat venous ulceration or to treat varicose veins. However, patients and nurses may experience problems applying hosiery and this can lead to non-concordance in patients and possibly reluctance from nurses to use compression hosiery. A simple solution to applying firm hosiery is Acti-Glide from Activa Healthcare.

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PubMed2004

A guide to managing the surrounding skin of chronic, exuding wounds.

Preserving the skin's integrity is one of the primary jobs of the nurse and this is often a complex and difficult task, especially in the case of chronic wounds. This article identifies the factors associated with chronic wounds that can affect the surrounding skin and offer advice on the management and maintenance of skin integrity.

Bandages↗

PubMed2003

BagBath: the value of simplistic care in the community.

Community nurses need to manage and embrace both the clinical and public health needs of their clients, which requires both ingenuity and improvisation. Although the community care environment is very different to hospital care, like all professionals, community nurses must live with the inevitability of change. The modern nurse must offer high-quality patient care and should be constantly striving for cost-effective methods of providing that care. In this product focus, the cost-effectiveness and infection control potential of the prevalent practice of "bed bathing" is compared with the new concept of BagBath (Westholme Ltd). BagBath is a quick-drying one-step bed bath product offered as an alternative to the bowl of water, soap, flannel and towel.

Baths↗

PubMed2003

Jobst UlcerCARE compression hosiery for venous leg ulcers.

Chronic venous insufficiency affects the productivity and well-being of millions of people worldwide and is the most common cause of leg ulcers. Treatment of leg ulcers accounts for 22% of district nurses' time and places a major financial burden on NHS resources. Compression bandaging has been recognized as the optimum approach for venous ulcers but is not always applied effectively. It is also costly and may lead to non-compliance. Compression hosiery is an alternative treatment approach. Review of relevant research shows JOBST UlcerCARE to be an effective treatment that is easy to apply, thereby maintaining patient independence. It also provides a major potential for cost savings to the NHS.

Bandages↗

PubMed2003

TheraPulse ATP for preventing and treating pressure ulcers.

In the modern healthcare environment where evidence-based best practice is key in seeking quality improvements for patient care, using treatment and therapies that have evidence of clinical efficacy is paramount. The current evidence bases supporting pulsating air suspension therapy is excellent and the improved lymphatic flow and enhanced microcirculation along with reduction of pressure ulcer potential (El-Habbal and Smith, 1996; Gunther and Brofeldt, 1996) ensures a firm place for TheraPulse ATP (KCI Medical) in reduction of oedema and pressure ulcers in the critically ill patient.

Beds↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The appropriate use of gloves to reduce allergies and infection.

Twenty years ago, the wearing of gloves for non-sterile procedures was viewed as insulting to the patient as it made him/her feel 'unclean'. Today, gloves are worn for all procedures and are often wastefully used. There must be a fine balance between inappropriate and appropriate use of gloves and between the use of latex gloves for comfort and fine movements vs the potential for latex allergies. This article will review the use of synthetic and latex gloves and examine some of the related issues.

Gloves, Protective↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Introducing the Reflexion pressure-redistributing cushion.

Preventing pressure ulcer incidence and ensuring patient comfort are essential components of providing quality clinical care (Hampton, 2001), and therefore comfortable pressure-redistributing seating should be a prerequisite to care provision. However, even though education in tissue viability has increased, it is only within the last 2 years that chair cushions have been noted for their importance in reducing pressure ulceration. It is not unknown for patients to have excellent pressure-reducing equipment on the bed but have chair cushions that are of an inferior standard (Hampton, 1999). This article, therefore, examines the Reflexion cushion, manufactured by Vitafoam, and the role it may have in preventing pressure ulceration.

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PubMedDate not supplied

The QUATTRO ACUTE mattress and pressure ulcer prevention.

There are a plethora of mattresses on the market and nurses are not always sure which mattress to select for each individual patient. This article outlines the issues in preventing and understanding pressure ulcers and the performance of the QUATTRO ACUTE trade mark mattress, manufactured by Talley Medical.

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PubMedDate not supplied

Elvarex compression garments in the management of lymphoedema.

Lymphoedema is a progressive and debilitating disorder, caused by malfunction of the lymphatic system. It is characterized by chronic swelling, usually of a limb but it can also affect other parts of the body. It is not curable but can be reduced and controlled. The mainstay of management is physical decongestive treatment, of which compression therapy is one of the four elements. The simplest and most cost-effective method of applying compression is with elastic compression garments. Essential for their success are a perfect fit and appropriate selection of compression class and stocking material. Elvarex, manufactured by JOBST, is a range of custom-made compression garments for both upper and lower limbs, available in a wide variety of styles and options. The flat knitting process provides superior fit and effective long-term management of lymphoedema.

Arm↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The cost-effective use of BagBath: a new concept in patient hygiene.

The future of nursing promises dynamic change and continual challenges, with exciting healthcare reform in progress and technologies as yet undreamed of on the nursing horizon. The modern nurse must offer high-quality patient care and should be constantly striving for cost-effective methods of providing that care. In this product focus, the prevalent practice of 'bed bathing' is considered along with cost-effectiveness of the practice and infection control potential when compared with the new concept of BagBath (Westholme Ltd). BagBath is a quick-drying one-step bed bath product offered as an alternative to the bowl of water, soap and flannel.

Baths↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Nurses' inappropriate use of gloves in caring for patients.

Asepsis still remains an important part of infection control and sterile gloves are still required in acute wound care and surgical procedures. Some tissue viability practitioners have for many years used unsterile gloves for chronic wound care and this provides a cost-effective method of protection for both the patient and the nurse. However, there are still those nurses who are bound in nursing rituals and find it difficult to discard a practice that has been shown to be costly and unnecessary. At the same time, there is a worrying practice of wearing gloves for all procedures without changing between each patient contact and this can be a dangerous method of introducing cross-infection and increasing the potential for latex allergies. Therefore, the use of gloves must be carefully thought through and the rationale for their use should be based on researched evidence. This article reviews the available evidence.

Evidence-Based Medicine↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The nursing care of common raw and bleeding skin conditions.

The skin is the largest organ in the body, is vital to the maintenance and balance of the body and is an indispensable structure for human life. The maintenance of healthy skin depends on factors such as moisture, the nutritional status of the patient and mechanical forces. Clever use of barrier films, barrier creams, emollients, steroid cream and observation of the patient's tissues over time, will protect the skin from external stimulants.

Bandages↗

PubMedDate not supplied

JOBST opaque compression hosiery in the management of venous disease.

Prevention of leg ulceration is a simple process involving assessment, accurate measurement of the leg and application of appropriate compression hosiery along with appropriate care of the skin. Persuasion of at-risk individuals to be aware of and follow prevention options needs to be incorporated in the ongoing health promotion activities of the practitioner (Price and Harding, 1996). This product focus examines the potential contributions of the new JOBST Opaque gradient compression hosiery (with the innovative JOBST soft care yarn) in prevention and management of venous disease and deep vein thrombosis, without sacrificing comfort and style in order to promote patient concordance.

Bandages↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Nursing management of urinary tract infections for catheterized patients.

Nosocomial urinary tract infections account for up to 40% of all hospital-acquired infections with 80% of these associated with the use of urinary catheters. The most important risk factor for infection is duration of catheterization. Clinical practices in catheter management vary widely and frequently are not evidence-based. It is vital that all indwelling catheters should be connected to a sterile closed urinary drainage system and that the connection between the catheter and the urinary drainage system is not broken except for good clinical reasons. Catheter care is a nursing procedure the importance of which is sometimes overlooked and cleansing of the perineum and meatus should be performed twice daily using soap and water.

Cross Infection↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Hand-washing and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Effective hand-washing, including drying to decrease skin surface microbial counts, is recognized as a critical factor in infection control policies. It is also recognized that hand-washing is not always undertaken as it should be. Spending large amounts of time with the hands in water is not enough to control infection as the technique of washing hands is more important than merely the length of time under water. Therefore, ways of promoting hand hygiene must be found, as well as finding ways of ensuring that healthcare workers follow hygiene guidelines.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Importance of the appropriate selection and use of continence pads.

Urinary incontinence is becoming an increasingly common problem for older men and women living in the community. It can have a deleterious effect on quality of life and, although advances have been made in treatments and therapies for this condition, there is still confusion over selection of continence products. This article will explore the problems associated with product selection and discuss alternative advice.

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