Ep9 - Wound measurement and photography

Everyone (hopefully most clinicians) undertake wound images and measurements. Don’t get us wrong, these are important. But from our prickly position, they aren’t as robust in our clinical practice as many would like to think.In this episode Monika and Donna provide an experience informed conversation on the common issues with digital photography and unpack the reasons why these affect quality practice and decision making for patients with wounds.Episode 9 is jam packed with practical pearls for all clinicians to take and use no matter what their experience or setting. This episode is valuable for:novice to experienced healthcare professionalsnurse, doctors and all clinicians involved in wound caremanagers focused on quality of care and practice improvementTimestamps00:00 Introduction00:49 Wound measurement and photography as a component of wound documentation02:40 Argggh rulers04:51 Photos as important medico-legal documentation05:10 Ban the Ruler!07:37 If you really feel compelled to use rulers09:15 Controversies and lack of standardisation in wound measurement12:43 Is your photo a true and accurate record?13:53 Photography tips14:33 Wound chart v photos16:05 Flash v natural light16:35 Doing a retrospective on your photography17:23 When it is important to use a flash18:27 How to make wound measurement more consistent19:36 Best time to measure and take a photo21:06 How often should wounds be measured?22:03 Do the world a favour22:50 Context of wound measurement and questions that should be answered24:16 Circumferential wounds and shout out to managers29:06 Measuring depth29:51 Probing wounds31:16 Measuring pressure injuries within an interdisciplinary team33:00 Wound measurement and photography in Chronic Oedema34:12 Wound Hygiene consensus resource34:35 Do you measure the height of hypergranulation?35:19 Don’t just look at the numbers37:52 Photographing pitting test38:20 The value of clinicians undertaking a lymphoedema course accredited by the Australasian Lymphology AssociationResources mentioned:Murphy C, Atkin L, Swanson T, Tachi M, Tan YK, Vega de Ceniga M, Weir D, Wolcott R. International consensus document. Defying hard-to-heal wounds with an early antibiofilm intervention strategy: Wound Hygiene. J Wound Care 2020; 29(Suppl 3b):S1–28 https://convatec.showpad.com/share/NlEvPxvvOe4SF5SzTaRnKAustralasian Lymphology Association - Accredited Training Courses https://www.lymphoedema.org.au/education-&-resources/lymphoedema-training-courses/If you enjoyed this episode please like, subscribe, leave a comment or share with your colleagues.Connect with us at:Email [email protected] https://www.tiktok.com/@twoechidnaeConnect with Donna's resources and sign up for the Woundy Wisdom's newsletter at https://goodwoundcare.carrd.co/Disclaimer: The views expressed in this podcast are our own. This podcast is intended specifically for healthcare professionals. Always follow your organisation's policies and procedures. Please consult your own healthcare provider for individual wound advice.