Lesson 1Assessing exudate, odour, peri-wound skin condition, and wound edge shapeThis lesson details how to check discharge, smell, skin around the wound, and edge shapes systematically. It connects findings to infection, soaking, poor blood flow, and pressure issues, guiding nurses on standard words and records for team talk.
Exudate amount, color, and viscosityDistinguishing serous, sanguineous, purulentOdor timing, intensity, and possible causesPeri-wound maceration, erythema, and eczemaWound edge shape, undermining, and callusStandard terms for describing local findingsLesson 2Identifying tissue types: granulation, dead tissue, slough, callus — spotting and recordingIt explains how to see and feel the difference between granulation, slough, dead tissue, and callus in diabetic foot wounds. It focuses on correct description, percentage guesses, and what it means for healing and cleaning plans.
Normal skin, epithelial tissue, and scarGranulation tissue color and qualitySlough appearance, texture, and adherenceDry and wet necrosis, eschar, and gangreneCallus formation at pressure pointsRecording tissue type percentages in notesLesson 3Blood flow check for lower limb wounds: feeling pulses, capillary refill time, ABI, TBI, toe pressuresThis covers simple bed-side blood flow checks for lower limbs in diabetic patients. It includes feeling pulses, checking capillary refill, ankle-brachial index, toe pressures, and limits when vessels are hard or mixed diseases are present.
Inspection for color, hair, and trophic changesPalpation of pedal and posterior tibial pulsesCapillary refill and limb temperature checksPerforming and interpreting ABI in diabetesToe pressures and TBI for calcified arteriesWhen to refer for vascular imaging or consultLesson 4Spotting infection and swelling: local versus whole body signs, using IDSA/International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) guidelinesThis focuses on spotting infection and swelling in diabetic foot wounds. It tells apart harmless germs from real infection, reviews local and body-wide signs, and uses IDSA and IWGDF rules to rate seriousness and guide next steps.
Normal healing inflammation versus infectionLocal signs in neuropathic and ischemic tissueSystemic signs and sepsis red flagsIDSA and IWGDF infection classificationWhen to obtain cultures and imagingUrgent referral criteria for limb-threatening casesLesson 5Key health history and social factors: sugar control, other illnesses, movement, shoes, living conditions, transport and care accessThis reviews important health history and social issues affecting diabetic foot wounds. It stresses sugar control, other sicknesses, ability to move, proper shoes, home setup, and getting to transport and wound care on time.
Targeted diabetes and treatment historyCardiovascular, renal, and neuropathy comorbiditiesMobility limits and fall or trauma historyFootwear type, fit, and wear patternsHome safety, support, and self-care capacityTransport, finances, and access to wound careLesson 6Standard wound check methods (SITE, TIME, WoundBed, and Bates-Jensen)This introduces main wound check methods for diabetic foot care, like SITE, TIME, WoundBed, and Bates-Jensen. It compares parts, scoring, and how they help track progress and team communication across disciplines.
Purpose of structured wound assessment toolsSITE framework elements and scoringTIME framework for wound bed preparationKey items in the WoundBed scoring systemBates-Jensen Wound Assessment overviewChoosing and applying a framework in practiceLesson 7Record-keeping standards and wound photos: getting consent, steady light, position and size notesThis describes best ways for written records and wound photos. It covers consent, privacy, positioning, light, scale placement, and steady setup to allow good comparison and strong legal records.
Essential elements of wound chartingLegal and ethical aspects of documentationObtaining and recording photo consentStandard patient positioning and landmarksLighting, focus, and use of measurement scalesSecure storage and labeling of wound imagesLesson 8Pain check in nerve-damaged and poor blood flow feet: scales and simple bed-side methodsThis explores pain checks in nerve-damaged and poor blood flow diabetic feet. It reviews pain scales, descriptions, and bed-side moves to tell nerve burning pain from rest pain due to poor flow, guiding pain relief and referrals.
Common pain patterns in diabetic foot diseaseNumeric and visual pain rating scalesNeuropathic pain descriptors and screening toolsFeatures of ischemic and rest pain at nightAssessing pain during dressing changesDocumenting pain response to interventionsLesson 9Nerve damage check: monofilament test, vibration (tuning fork), pinprick and balance testsThis outlines planned nerve checks in diabetic feet using monofilament, vibration, pinprick, and balance tests. It stresses method, scoring, and how lost feeling changes risk and patient teaching needs.
Screening questions for neuropathic symptoms10 g monofilament sites and applicationVibration testing with tuning fork techniquePinprick and temperature discrimination testsProprioception and balance assessmentRisk stratification based on sensory lossLesson 10Measuring wound size, depth, and tunnels: tools and ways (ruler, outline, photos)This gives practical ways to measure wound length, width, depth, and tunnels. It compares paper rulers, probes, outlines, and digital photos, stressing germ control and steady method among checkers.
Selecting clean, single-use measuring toolsStandardizing length, width, and clock faceSafe depth and tunneling probing techniqueUsing wound tracings and acetate templatesClinical photography for serial comparisonRecording measurements and trends over time
