Failure to Monitor and Document a Right Foot Wound
Summary
The facility failed to ensure a wound was monitored and treated according to orders for a resident with unspecified dementia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, and diabetic neuropathy. The resident’s care plan included monitoring and reporting skin problems related to PVD and signs of infection to open areas related to diabetes. A physician order also directed staff to monitor a corn on the right pinky toe and report signs of infection. The resident had severe cognitive impairment, and CNA skin inspection reports in late April documented skin as good, with no wound issues noted in the record at that time. On May 5, staff documented an old saturated dressing on the right foot, an open area with serosanguinous drainage, pain to touch, and peeling skin around the wound. However, the clinical record did not show physician orders for or treatment of a right foot wound before that date. A subsequent note on May 6 documented that when the dressing was removed, 5-10 white active larvae were observed in the wound bed. The wound was irrigated with normal saline and cleansed, and physician orders were then written for wound care. The wound care surgical note on May 8 identified the wound on the small toe, lateral area of the right foot, measuring 4.5 cm x 3 cm x 0.1 cm. Staff interviews reflected that the wound had not been clearly documented when first discovered and that the resident had been monitored for the corn on the right foot, but staff were unsure how or when the wound started. One LPN stated she was surprised to see a bandage on the right foot because there was no documentation of what had happened or what treatment had been done. The DON stated that new wounds should be documented in PCC, a skin assessment completed, and the physician notified, and acknowledged that failure to document a new wound when discovered could lead to improper or delayed treatment and infections. The facility policy required wound care to be documented in the medical record and any changes in wounds to be reported according to facility policy and professional standards of practice.
Penalty
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