Rebecca Elwell describes one trust’s attempt to minimise the misdiagnosis of cellulitis by setting up a nurse-led service to treat patients with red legs
As the population ages, more complex care is required to manage multiple comorbidities. In response, a nurse-led service was developed to care for patients with ‘red legs’. This chronic inflammatory condition is often misdiagnosed as acute cellulitis and can result in unnecessary hospital admission and inappropriate treatment, with substantial resource and financial implications for trusts.
Setting up the service required a multi-agency group to analyse current provision and identify gaps in care. Integrated care pathways were developed to focus on patient experience through referral, diagnostics and treatment. Evaluation showed that much of the prescribed care for patients with red legs could be carried out by patients at home and only a small number required a follow-up appointment. High levels of patient satisfaction were recorded.
Nursing Older People. 27, 10, 23-27. doi: 10.7748/nop.27.10.23.s20
Correspondence Peer reviewThis article has been subject to double-blind review and has been checked using antiplagiarism software
Conflict of interestTrustee for the British Lymphology Society
Received: 10 March 2015
Accepted: 13 October 2015
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