How Not to Suck at Leech Therapy
Webinar Topic: Wound Care
Speaker: Ronald Sherman, MD, MSc, DTM&H, Director at BioTherapeutics, Education & Research (BTER) Foundation
Webinar Description:
This session is designed to provide practical information for wound care therapists who are occasionally asked to assist in providing leech therapy for post-surgical flaps and reattached appendages that are failing due to venous congestion. General anatomy, biology will be covered, along with clinical insights concerning appropriate use and potential complications. The class will focus on practical pointers about how to handle the leeches.
Target Audience: Nurses, physical therapists, dietitians, and other healthcare professionals interested in wound care.
About the Speaker:
Ronald Sherman earned degrees in Entomology and Medicine, before going on to study Tropical Medicine at the University of London. Long interested in maggot therapy, he initiated the first clinical trials of maggot therapy for wound healing during his fellowship in infectious diseases, 1989-1991. Dr. Sherman joined the faculty at UC Irvine to study maggot biochemistry, where he also continued to produce medicinal maggots for clinicians throughout the western hemisphere. As a founding member of the BTER Foundation, Dr. Sherman developed biotherapy educational programs for therapists, patients, and the community. Dr. Sherman continues to teach, do research, and produce medicinal maggots.
Disclosures
None of the planners/faculty, unless otherwise noted, for this educational activity have relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.
Webinar Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of this offering, the participant will be able to:
- List the indications for leech therapy.
- List at least 2 complications of leech therapy.
- Describe how to tell the difference between the front and back ends of a leech.
- Describe at least 3 techniques to optimize leech attachment.
Course Originally Released on: 2/25/2021
Date of Most Recent Review: 2/25/2021
Course Termination/ Update Date: 2/29/2024
Accreditation Information
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In support of improving patient care, Relias LLC is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. |
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As a Jointly Accredited organization, Relias LLC is accredited to offer dietetic continuing education by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). The CDR is an associate member of Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education.
Dietetics-related continuing education from Relias LLC, regardless of target profession, is acceptable, if the learning relates to the Competencies/Performance Indicators (PIs) on the learner's Step 1 Learning Plan.
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| Relias LLC is a licensed physical therapy continuing Education sponsor (#216.000290) by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Certificates must be retained by the licensee for a period of 5 years after course completion. Please check with your state for prior approval. |