• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Course Login

WoundEducators.com | Online Wound Care Certification Courses

Your online source for wound care certification.

  • Courses
  • About Us
    • Meet The Team
    • Risk-Free Guarantee
    • Accredited Wound Care Course Info
    • Student Testimonials
    • Our Mission to Help
  • Why Certify?
    • What’s Included
    • How Hard is Wound Care Certification?
    • Wound Care Certification Cost
    • Wound Care Certification for Nurses
    • Getting Started: Wound Care Certification
  • Resources
    • Sign up for Our Newsletter
    • Search Wound Care Jobs
    • Post a Wound Care Job
    • Submit Your Resume
    • I Completed My Wound Care Course – Now What?
    • Wound Care CE Hours Online
    • Wound Care Recertification Process
  • Certifications
    • Compare Wound Care Certification Options
    • ABWM® Wound Care Certifications
      • The CWCA® Certification
      • The CWS® Certification
      • The CWSP® Wound Care Certification
    • The WCC® Certification
    • The AWCC® Wound Care Certification
    • The CWCN® Certification
  • Blog
  • FAQ’s
  • Contact

A New Topic on WoundTalk – Pyoderma Gangrenosum

October 5, 2011 3 Comments

0
SHARES
ShareTweetGoogle +Linkedin
PinterestRedditTumblrStumbleuponDiggDelicious

The last few weeks on WoundTalk have been devoted to a discussion of lymphedema.  Our new subject for discussion will be pyoderma gangrenosum, an uncommon but potentially incapacitating condition that is still not fully understood. As well as providing a comprehensive overview of this condition, we will also provide resources to assist you in understanding and managing pyoderma gangrenosum. Once again, the series will end with a short quiz so that you can test what you know.

Uncommon but Incapacitating

Pyoderma gangrenosum, a rare ulcerative cutaneous condition, was first described in 1930.(1) It usually presents on the legs as sterile pustules that rapidly progress into painful ulcers. Pyoderma gangrenosum is associated with systemic disease (most commonly inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatic or hematologic disease and malignancy) in at least 50% of patients who are affected. The clinical course of pyoderma gangrenosum can be mild or malignant, chronic or relapsing, and often results in considerable morbidity. (1-3)

Death from pyoderma gangrenosum is rare, but can occur as a result of the associated disease or even due to therapeutic interventions. One of the most common symptoms of pyoderma gangrenosum is severe pain, and many sufferers require routine narcotic therapy.

Statistics of Pyoderma Gangrenosum

Pyoderma gangrenosum is thought to affect 1 new person in 100,000 in the US every year.(1)  The peak of incidence occurs between the ages of 20 to 50 years, with women being more often affected than men.(2) Children account for only a small minority of sufferers (around 3-4% of all patients).

Treatment

The treatment of pyoderma gangrenosum is not straightforward, and little evidence is available to show a benefit of the currently available options. Management of pyoderma gangrenosum will be considered in greater depth in a later article.

As we progress through our discussion of pyoderma gangrenosum, we welcome all comments, experiences, and suggestions, and input. We hope that this will become a truly interactive discussion on an important and debilitating condition.

Enhanced knowledge and understanding of the characteristics and features of pyoderma gangrenosum can be achieved by pursuing additional professional training, including studying for a certification in wound management.

Learn More With Our Wound Care Education Options

Interested in learning more about wound care and certification? Browse through our wound care certification courses for information on our comprehensive range of education options to suit healthcare professionals across the full spectrum of qualifications and experience.

Images of Pyoderma Gangrenosum >>

References

  1. Jackson M, Callen JP. Pyoderma gangrenosum.  Medscape March 2010 (available at http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1123821-overview#a0199).
  2. Wollina U. Pyoderma gangrenosum–a review. Orphanet J Rare Dis. 200715;2:19.
  3. Brooklyn T, Dunnill G, Probert C. Diagnosis and treatment of pyoderma gangrenosum. BMJ. 2006;333:181-4.

 

 

 

Categories: Miscellaneous Wounds

About the Author

Laurie Swezey's avatar

Laurie Swezey, founder and president of WoundEducators.com, has been a Registered Nurse for more than a quarter century, with most of those years dedicated to wound treatment. Ms. Swezey is a Certified Wound Care Nurse and a Certified Wound Specialist.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    October 6, 2011 at 4:38 pm

    I look forward to the discussions/comments on this line. I have worked with only two patients in my career thus far whom have suffered from this alienating infection. These two patients were of completely different socioeconomic backgrounds, races, and both were male. One had the underlying disease of a recurrent colon cancer, and the other had been poorly managing his IBS. Both men ended up with leg wounds that became infected with P.G. prior to coming into our clinic for treatment. The treatment for both men’s P.G. problems were the same, but the primary concentration was on their underlying disease processes. It was a very scary time for them, but also very rewarding as they both made slow, but steady improvements. I learned a great deal from talking with them, and the physician in charge, with respect to how important it is to thoroughly examine the ‘whole of the patient’, not just their wound & it’s history. — Thanks for bringing these topics up for discussion. I like to hear what other people have discovered.

    Reply
  2. Jacqueline Gafford says

    October 17, 2021 at 8:12 pm

    I am a PG patient. It effected both legs and took many different treatments which culminated in steroids shots directly into the wounds. It took 5 years to completely heal. I have been lucky enough to be in remission for the past 11 years. However, I have recently been diagnosed with HS which a whole different problem. While moving some furniture I hit one of my legs rather hard. It was VERY painful and a huge knot rose immediately. Could this be the beginning of a new PG out break? I had some steroid ointment left and immediately put some on the lump. Do I need to seek medical attention?

    Reply
    • WoundEducators says

      October 24, 2021 at 12:01 pm

      Jacqueline –

      I would recommend getting a second opinion if you have concerns. Without pictures or knowledge of treatment, we cannot properly judge symptoms, treatment, or outcomes. Hope this helps! You should contact a certified wound specialist to locate a wound center in your area. You can search for certified wound specialists in your area here: https://portal.abwmcertified.org/ABWMweb/Directory/ABWMcontent/Directory.aspx

      Reply

Leave a Comment Cancel

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

sidebar

Blog Sidebar

Free Preview!

Sign up for our newsletter and enjoy a Free Preview of our Wound Care Certification Course!

Support Our “Where There’s a Wound, There’s a Way!™” Foundation

fundraiser logo

Join our “Where There’s a Wound, There’s a Way!™” fundraising campaign  Learn more

Payment Information

All major credit cards & PayPal accepted. All transactions are performed via a SSL secure server to ensure your privacy.

payments accepted visa mastercard amex discover paypal

Copyright © 2009-2021 WoundEducators.com
Wound Care Certification Courses | Risk Free Guarantee | Terms and Policies

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT