IN THIS ISSUE OF JWOCN
Who is the preferred provider of the latest new knowledge related to WOC and Foot & Nail Care, the source of the most relevant preclinical studies affecting your specialty practice and the definitive resource of standards of care in our specialty area? My answer is simple: look to the WOCN Society's educational library and its official journal, the Journal of Wound, Ostomy & Continence Nursing (JWOCN). This issue is authored by a global community of authors eager to share their findings with our caring community (Figure).
This issues Wound Care section opens with 2 articles focusing one of the hottest topics in wound care, unavoidable pressure injuries. Susan Solomas, Cynthia LaFond, Anne Pohlman, Jennifer Sala, and Anoop Mayampurath report a case-control study that examined factors associated with unavoidable pressure injuries of the sacrum in a group of patients managed in an intensive care unit setting. Joy Pittman, Terrie Beeson, Jill Dillon, Ziyi Yang, Michelle Mravec, Caeli Malloy, and Janet Cuddingan also report a case-control study that examined factors associated with avoidable versus unavoidable pressure injuries in a multicenter study using a validated instrument enabling this differentiation and published in a previous issue of JWOCN.1 Both articles are must read, and both provide precisely the cutting-edge insights you need as you care for and contribute to your facility's or health system's ongoing pressure injury prevention program and the global conversation about formal recognition that some pressure injuries that occur in the acute care setting are truly unavoidable!
Dr Vita Boyar and Colleen Galiczewski describe a quality improvement project aimed at prevention of peripheral intravenous catheter extravasation in neonates. This clinically relevant issue affects the care of all acutely or critically ill neonates and children, and you should read this innovative quality improvement project to gain further insights about how you can incorporate their insights into your facility's care of this vulnerable population.
This issue's Ostomy Care section includes the latest Evidence-Based Report Card, a systematic review of the use of rods (bridges) following loop ileostomy surgery for prevention of stomal retraction. This systematic review, authored by Elefterios Gialamas, Jeremy Meyer, Ziad Abbassi, Sotirios Popeskou, Nicolas Buchs, and Frederic Ris, examines current best evidence concerning this controversial intervention and provides an excellent addition to the ongoing global conversation about the use of these devices following ostomy surgery.2 This article qualifies as must read for every ostomy care nurse. Are you concerned that your opinion has less impact when applied to the surgical management of patients undergoing ostomy surgery? Consider where this physician group submitted their article, JWOCN (your Society's official journal), and feel confident adding your evidence-based and expert opinion to the management of these patients in your facility and health system!
Vera Santos (Editorial Adviser to JWOCN from Sao Paolo, Brazil), Gustavo Gomboski, Noelle Freitas, and Marcia Grant report on scholarly work resulting in translation, cultural adaptation, and additional validation of the City of Hope-Quality of Life-Ostomy Questionnaire. Multiple articles appearing in JWOCN and other journals have used this clinically useful instrument for measuring health-related quality of life in patients with an ostomy. You will want to read this important work that not only strengthens the confidence that this tool is reliable and valid but also extends its reach to patients and WOC nurses practicing in Brazil.
This issue's Continence Care section opens with a timely study from Jaqueline Junqueira, Christine Norton (also a JWOCN Editorial Adviser from London), and Vera Santos, who report on the prevalence of constipation and associated factors among a group of hospitalized patients. These researchers not only used an adapted version of the Rome III criteria for diagnosing constipation; they also evaluated the influence of a variety of potential contributing factors. Bowel management is an essential component of WOC nursing in the acute care setting, and this article adds to the sparse evidence of this prevalent condition in acutely and critically patients.
Sofoklis Koudounas, Dan Bader, and Professor David Voegeli report findings from a study that evaluated the effect of skin pH on penetration of synthetic urine. This group, along with others reporting in JWOCN, are seeking to understand more about the pathophysiology of incontinence-associated dermatitis. Read this article to learn the latest about the complex interplay of factors that lead to the concept of moisture plus additional interventions you might consider when implementing an incontinence-associated dermatitis prevention program in your practice.
This issue's Foot and Nail Care section is a guest commentary (View From Here) article from Professor Timothy Porter O'Grady. I strongly encourage you to read his article and the accompanying Commentary from Section Editor Tara Beuscher to gain a deeper understanding regarding the impact of his pioneering work regardless of your focus within our specialty practice community!
This issue contains 2 Clinical Challenges; one focuses on ostomy care and the second on wound care. Li-Bo Zhu, Jia-nan Sun, Yue Cong, Ting Wang, Jieman Hu, and Hai-yan Hu report their experiences managing a patient with an ileostomy and peristomal fistula. You will want to read this lucid case study to learn more about the complexity we face when managing this significant stomal complication. Diego Mosteiro-Miguens, Cristina Herrera-Jimenez, Hector Lorenzo-Ruiz, Eva Dominguez-Martis, and Silvia Novio report a case where they used a combination of compression and Manuka honey in the management of a patient with multiple venous leg ulcers. You will want to read this article to determine whether you might adopt a similar approach when managing leg ulcers that prove refractory to first-line topical therapies.
Cathy Wogoman authored this issue's Getting Ready for Certification feature. It focuses on care of patients with fecal ostomies. Read the article and complete the practice questions. Remember JWOCN has an online collection of recent Getting Ready for Certification feature articles that can provide invaluable assistance in your journey to retain or achieve certification as CWOCN, COCN, CWON, and COCN-AP!
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