Tissue viability. Post-operative wounds: a nurse-led change in wound dressings

In an attempt to ascertain whether the type of dressing used in hip replacement surgery can affect the risk of patients haemorrhaging post-operatively, a survey was carried out on a 25-bedded orthopaedic ward. It was found that thinly dressed wounds were more likely to lead to haemorrhage. As a result of this nursing-led initiative, the consultants agreed to use thickly padded dressings and there has since been a reduction in the number of patients haemorrhaging.