Wound malignancy is a growing concern, particularly as the population ages and the ‘baby boomer’ generation reaches retirement. A malignant wound can result from tumor necrosis, fungating tumor cells, an ulcerating cancerous wound, or a malignant cutaneous wound;1 and rarely achieves satisfactory closure.2–3 Malignant wounds can have both ulcerative and fungating features and are often associated…
The process of wound healing is a complex bodily function. This natural process involves inflammatory vascular and connective tissue working in tandem with epithelial cells over a period of time. As such, wound care education requires a basic understanding of how wounds actually affect the connective tissue that is human skin. Our skin consists of…
Necrotic tissue that is present in a wound bed causes a physical obstruction to healing. Simply put, wounds cannot heal when necrotic tissue is present. In this article, we’ll define necrotic tissue and describe ways to effect its removal from the wound bed. What is necrotic tissue? Necrotic tissue is dead or devitalized tissue. This…
Wound care has increasingly been recognized as a specialty in recent years, coinciding with the rise in the number of elderly persons living with chronic conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, that increase the risk of development of wounds, both acute and chronic. As our knowledge and ability to better treat acute and chronic…
It will probably come as no surprise that patients who are malnourished are prone to complications during wound healing. Mild malnutrition may cause a delay in wound healing, while severe malnutrition can lead to infection, sepsis and even death. For this reason, it is important to perform a nutritional assessment on patients presenting with a…
In addition to carbohydrates, proteins and fats (macronutrients), there are a number of micronutrients that are necessary for wound healing. Vitamins Vitamin A (retinol) is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps to maintain tissue integrity and healthy skin. This important vitamin is required for the formulation of granulation tissue, synthesis of collagen, epithelialization and macrophage functioning….
In this series, we have been focusing on wound care modalities that are commonly used in wound care management. Now we turn our focus to lesser known and less common wound care tactics. Monochromatic Infrared Energy (MIRE) Monochromatic Infrared Energy (MIRE) involves the delivery of near-infrared energy to the skin using diode pads. This therapy…
Electrical stimulation is a relatively new phenomenon in wound care. While some studies have shown little to no improvement with the use of electrical stimulation, many other studies have found that wound healing may be greatly enhanced with the use of this modality. Functions How does electrical stimulation aid in wound healing? The following are…
Although not a true modality, wound irrigation is a common treatment that serves multiple purposes. Let’s look at some of the ways in which wound irrigation can be used to enhance wound healing. Functions of Wound Irrigation Wound irrigation serves many important functions: removes cellular debris that is loosely adherent remove surface bacteria removes wound…
Wound management is a rapidly growing field, with new developments and discoveries coming one after the other. We’ve come a long way from the days where all wounds were managed with gauze (although gauze is still sometimes appropriate). What’s coming in the field of wound management? Let’s take a look at some of the “up…
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