Collaborative nurse management of multifactorial moist desquamation in a patient undergoing radiotherapy

Consultation and collaboration between health care professionals can facilitate and improve patient care. In this case, Radiation Oncology and ET nurses collaborated in the care of a patient undergoing radiotherapy for esophageal carcinoma and concomitant corticosteroid therapy for cicatricial pemphigoid. The patient had moist skin desquamation during radiotherapy and was successfully treated by moist wound healing techniques with a hydrogel (Vigilon, C.R. Bard, Inc., Murray Hill, N.J.). The clinical success of nursing collaboration in this case affected assessment and treatment of moist desquamation in the Radiation Oncology department at one institution.