Lesson 1Assessing discharge, smell, skin around the wound, and shape of wound edgesExplains step-by-step checking of wound discharge, smell, skin surrounding the wound, and edge shapes. Connects these to signs of infection, skin softening, poor blood flow, and pressure issues. Helps nurses use standard words and record for better team talks.
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: healthy granulation, dead tissue, slough, callus — spotting and recordingShows how to see and feel the difference between healthy granulation, slough, dead tissue, and callus in diabetic foot wounds. Focuses on clear descriptions, estimating percentages, and what they mean for healing and cleaning the wound.
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 3Checking blood vessels for lower limb wounds: feeling pulses, capillary refill time, ankle-brachial index, toe-brachial index, toe pressuresCovers simple bedside checks for blood flow in lower limbs of diabetic patients. Includes feeling pulses, checking capillary refill, ankle-brachial index, toe pressures, and understanding limits when vessels are hardened 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) guidelinesConcentrates on identifying infection and swelling in diabetic foot wounds. Distinguishes harmless germs from true infection, looks at local and body-wide signs, and uses IDSA and IWGDF guidelines to rate seriousness and decide on actions.
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: blood sugar control, other illnesses, movement ability, shoes, home life, access to transport and careLooks at important health background and social issues affecting diabetic foot wounds. Highlights blood sugar management, other health problems, ability to move, proper shoes, living conditions, and getting to transport and wound care services 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 checking methods (SITE, TIME, WoundBed, and Bates-Jensen)Introduces main frameworks for assessing wounds in diabetic foot care, like SITE, TIME, WoundBed, and Bates-Jensen. Compares their parts, scoring systems, and how they help in tracking progress and team discussions.
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 7Recording standards and wound photos: getting consent, steady lighting, positioning and measuring notesDescribes best ways to write records and take wound photos. Includes getting permission, protecting privacy, correct positioning, lighting, scale placement, and consistent angles for reliable comparisons and legal-standard 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 8Checking pain in nerve-damaged and poor blood flow feet: pain scales and simple bedside methodsExamines pain checking in feet with nerve damage or poor blood flow in diabetes. Reviews pain scales, descriptions, and bedside tests to tell nerve burning pain from rest pain due to poor flow, helping with 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 checking: monofilament test, vibration sense (tuning fork), pinprick and position sense testsOutlines organised nerve checks in diabetic feet using monofilament, vibration, pinprick, and position sense tests. Stresses proper methods, scoring, and how lost feeling changes risks 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 methods (ruler, outlining, photography)Gives practical ways to measure wound length, width, depth, and tunnels. Compares paper rulers, probes, outlines, and digital photos, emphasising infection prevention and consistent methods among carers.
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
