Best Practice Articles

CAWC has published articles highlighting the best evidence for effective practice in diabetic foot ulcers, pressure ulcers, venous leg ulcers, preparing the wound bed and the principles of wound healing.

Clinical Practice Guidelines Quick Reference Guide: Partial Thickness Burns and Blister Management (a practice enabler)
Wound Care Canada, Vol. 7, No. 2, 2009.

Best Practice Recommendations for the Prevention and Treatment of Skin Tears
Pratiques recommandées pour la prévention et le traitement des déchirures cutanées
Kimberly LeBlanc, Dawn Christensen, Heather L. Orsted, David H. Keast, Wound Care Canada, Vol. 6, No. 1, 2008.

Best Practice Recommendations for the Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Diabetic Foot Ulcers: Update 2010
Recommandations des pratiques exemplaires pour la prévention, le diagnostic et le traitement des ulcères du pied diabétique : Mise à jour 2010
Mariam Botros, Kyle Goettl, Laurie Parsons, Sulejman Menzildzic, Christina Morin, Tracy Smith, Andy Hoar, Heather Nesbeth and Shannon McGrath, Wound Care Canada, Vol. 8, No. 4, 2010.

The following “Best Practice” articles were originally published in Ostomy/Wound Management and we thank them for allowing us to provide the following PDF documents.

Best Practice Recommendations for the Prevention and Treatment of Pressure Ulcers: Update 2006
Recommandations des pratiques exemplaires pour la prévention et la prise en charge des ulcères de pression : Mise à jour 2006
David H. Keast, Nancy Parslow, Pamela E. Houghton, Linda Norton and Chris Fraser

Best Practice Recommendations for the Prevention and Treatment of Venous Leg Ulcers: Update 2006
Recommandations des pratiques exemplaires pour la prévention et le traitement des ulcères veineux de la jambe : Mise à jour 2006
Brian Kunimoto, Maureen Cooling, Wayne Gulliver, Pamela E. Houghton, Heather L. Orsted, and R. Gary Sibbald

Best Practice Recommendations for Preparing the Wound Bed: Update 2006
Recommandations des pratiques exemplaires pour la préparation du lit de la plaie : Mise à jour 2006
R. Gary Sibbald, Heather L. Orsted, Patricia M. Coutts, David H. Keast

The Basic Principles of Wound Healing
David H. Keast and Heather L. Orsted (originally published: Ostomy/Wound Management. 1998;44 (8):24-8, 30-1)

Articles of clinical interest

Prevalence of pressure ulcers in Canadian health-care settings.
Woodbury MG, Houghton PE.
Ostomy/Wound Management. 2004;50(10):22-38.

Preparing the Wound Bed 2003: Focus on Infection and Inflammation
R. Gary Sibbald, MD; Heather Orsted, RN, ET; Gregory S. Schultz, PhD; Patricia Coutts, RN; and David Keast MD, for the International Wound Bed Preparation Advisory Board and the Canadian Chronic Wound Advisory Board

Searching for Evidence-Based Medicine in Wound Care: An Introduction
Siobhan Ryan, MD, FRCPC; Laure Perrier, Med, MLIS; and R. Gary Sibbald, MD, FRCPC

Ultraviolet Light C in the Treatment of Chronic Wounds with MRSA: A Case Study
Thao Pl Thai, BScPT, MSc; Pamela E. Houghton, BscPT, PhD; David H Keast, MD CCFP; Karen E. Campbell, RN MScN, Np; and M. Gail Woodbury, BScPT, MSc, PhD

Cost-effectiveness of Becaplermin for Nonhealing Neuropathic Diabetic Foot Ulcers
R. Gary Sibbald, MD, FRCPC; George Torrance, PhD; Maragert Hux, MSc; Cheryl Attard, MSc; and Natalie Milkovich, MSc

Intact Skin – An Integrity Not to be Lost
R. Gary Sibbald, MD, FRCPC(Med)(Derm); Karen Campbell, RN, MScN, NP/CNS; Patricia Coutts, RN; and Douglas Queen, BSC, PhD, MBA

The Process of Developing Best Practice Guidelines for Nurses in Ontario: Risk Assessment and Prevention of Pressure Ulcers
Frances E. MacLeod, RN, MScN; Margaret B. Harrison, RN, PhD; and Ian D. Graham, PhD

Chronic Wound and Palliative Cancer Care
Douglas Queen, BSc, PhD, MBA; Kevin Woo, RN, MSc, PhD(cand), ACNP, GNC(C); Valerie N. Schulz, MD, FRCPC (Anesth), MPH; and
R. Gary Sibbald, MD, FRCPC (Med) (Derm)

A Consensus Report on the Use of Vacuum-Assisted Closure In Chronic, Difficult-To-Heal Wounds
R. Gary Sibbald, MD, FRCPC; James Mahoney, MD, FRCSC; and The V.A.C.® Therapy Canadian Consensus Group

An Evaluation of the Canadian Ostomy Assessment Guide
Diane St-Cyr, RN, ET, BSc, MEd

A Comparison Of Computer-Assisted And Manual Wound Size Measurement
Habiba A. Thawer, BScPT, MSc, PhD; Pamela E. Houghton, BScPT, PhD; M. Gail Woodbury, BScPT, MSc, PhD; David Keast, MSc, MD, CCFP; and Karen Campbell, MScN, RN, NP/CNS

Assessment of Venous Leg Ulcers: An In-depth Discussion of a Literature-Guided Approach
Brian T. Kunimoto

Management and Prevention of Venous Leg Ulcers: A Literature-Guided Approach
Brian T. Kunimoto

The Impact of Musculoskeletal Changes on the Dynamics of the Calf Muscle Pump
Heather Orsted, RN, BN, ET; Lori Radke, BScPT; and Richelle Gorst, BScPT

High Bacterial Load in Asymptomatic Diabetic Patients with Neurtrophic Ulcers Retards Wound Healing after Application of Dermigraft®
Anne C. Browne, MB, MICGP; Mary Vearncombe, MD, FRCPD; and R. Gary Sibbald, MD, FRCPC

Physician’s SOLUTIONS References for Weisz and Benjamin article: Less than the best: Care of patients with diabetic food wounds

Outline of presentation (Word RTF file) on “Hard to Heal Leg Ulcers,” given by Alain Brassard, MD, FRCPC; Diane St.Cyr, RN, ET, M.Ed. and Hakeem Sam, MD, PhD at the 9th Annual CAWC Conference, November 2003

Managing the Challenges of Enterocutaneous Fistulas
Kathryn Kozell, Lina Martins

Innovative Treatments for Elderly Patients with Contractures: A Clinical Experience
Teresa A. Hurd

Peri-wound Skin Protection: A Comparison of a New Skin Barrier vs. Traditional Therapies in Wound Management
Patricia Coutts, Douglas Queen, R. Gary Sibbald

The Interdisciplinary Urgency Tool: A Comprehensive Wound-Care Referral Form
Richelle Gorst, Gillian Bagg, Martine Albert, Nancy Couture

Ask the Expert - The Challenges of Compression
R. Gary Sibbald

Health of the Aging Foot
Shane Inlow MD

An Approach to Chronic Wounds: Why You Shouldn’t Listen to Your Mom
Brian Kunimoto, MD