Wound Care Consultation in Postacute/Long-term Care: Characteristics and Practice Implications

OBJECTIVE To study the characteristics of residents in postacute (PA)/long-term care (LTC) facilities with wounds and prevalence of wound types other than pressure injuries (PIs). METHODS The authors conducted a retrospective review of all wound care consultations over 1 year at The New Jewish Home, a 514-bed academically affiliated facility in an urban setting. Investigators analyzed residents by age, sex, type of wound, presence of infection, and whether the resident was PA or LTC. Authors designated PIs as facility acquired or present on admission. RESULTS During the study period, 190 wound care consultations were requested; 74.7% of consults were for those in PA care. The average patient age was 76.3 years, and there were 1.7 wounds per resident receiving consultation. Of studied wounds, 53.2% were PIs, 15.8% surgical, 6.8% arterial, 6.3% soft tissue injury, 5.8% venous, 2.6% malignant wounds, and 2.1% diabetic ulcers; however, 11.6% of residents receiving consults had more than one wound type. In this sample, 13.2% of residents had infected wounds, and 76.2% of PIs were present on admission. CONCLUSIONS The wide variety of wounds in this sample reflects the medical complexity of this population. The transformation of LTC into a PA environment has altered the epidemiology of chronic wounds and increased demand for wound care expertise. These results challenge traditional perceptions of wound care centered on PIs. Given its importance, a wound care skill set should be required of all PA/LTC providers.