I enjoyed my day spent with the podiatry team on the 27/11/23. I learnt the different types of dressings they use for wounds such as soft pore, inadine and melolin dressings. Melolin dressings are good for absorption. Semi-compressed felt is used as padding for the toes and aids in toe separation. This provides comfort and won’t allow the other toe to rub against the toe with the wound. A wound must be cleaned during dressing change. This is because the patient’s skin hasn’t been exposed to air therefore, the skin becomes flakey and you can’t see the base of the wound without cleaning the top.

inadine dressings are often used as it helps to dry the wound out and keeps biofields and organisms out preventing infection. I also learned that it is important to use a scalpel for the edges of the wound to allow fluids to exudate. I understand that patients who are diabetic often have poor circulation and immune system therefore, it is important to use a Doppler to check the pulses of the feet.

The instruments that the podiatrist uses to clean the wound is in a packaging with a catch number. It is important to record the batch number to cover yourself so the patient is aware that the tools are sterile if they were to call up and ask. If a patient’s wound doesn’t start to heal within 2 months then the patient has to be referred to the hospital.A patient is seen as low risk if they can feel the podiatrist poking the bottom of their foot. This means that if the patient was barefoot they could feel if they stepped on a piece of glass preventing the risk of infection.

Sutton and health care don’t cut nails routinely.