Ask Proactive – Is a wound that has a JP drain considered a surgical wound and is changing the dressing to the drain considered surgical wound care?

Is a wound that has a JP drain considered a surgical wound and is changing the dressing to the drain considered surgical wound care?

A:

Yes, the RAI Manual states that a surgical wound includes, “any healing and non-healing, open or closed surgical incisions, skin grafts or drainage sites.” Additionally, the manual notes that surgical wound care includes any intervention for treating of protecting any type of surgical wound with topical cleansing and any type of application of dressings.

Resource

• • • Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2019, October).  Long-Term Care Facility Resident Assessment Instrument 3.0 User’s Manual,  Version 1.17.1.  https://downloads.cms.gov/files/mds-3.0-rai-manual-v1.17.1_october_2019.pdf