Although the results of the meeting do not
provide an alternative to level 1 research-based
3 A young male
patient you are caring
for was a keen swimmer
before application of
the external fixator.
Would you recommend
he continues to swim?
What advice would you
give him?
4 Find out if the rate
of pin site infection is
monitored at your place
of work. Describe how
you could you go about
doing this. What are the
potential barriers to the
accurate monitoring of
pin site infection rates?
5 When you have
completed the article,
you might like to write
a practice profile.
Guidelines to help you
are on page 60.
p50-55w1 54 31/08/2012 13:36© NURSING STANDARD / RCN PUBLISHING september 5 :: vol 27 no 1 :: 2012 55
recommendations, they do add to the body of
evidence. In the absence of a strong evidence
base, a consensus approach provides a structure
in which guidance can be developed through
in-depth knowledge and clinical experience.
Patients should be assessed individually,
practitioners should use their clinical skill to plan
pin site care and be aware of emerging research.
The consensus meeting highlighted the need
for additional research in this area, increased
collaboration between limb reconstruction units
and the development of validated tools to assist in
the diagnosis and audit of infection rates NS
Complete time out activity