Types of Chronic Wound Care Treatments

Types of Chronic Wound Care Treatments

A chronic wound is one that has failed to pass through the normal healing phases of a wound, but this does not mean that it has to stay that way and worsen over time. Medicine and technology are constantly evolving, creating new opportunities for healing, where there was no hope. CutisCare provides innovative, flexible clinical solutions driven by the very best in wound care quality. Partnering with hospitals, they strive to make your healing process as quick, and painless, as possible using different types of chronic wound care treatments.

What is a Chronic Wound

There are different phases of healing that all wounds pass through. Homeostasis, where the clot is formed to control bleeding; inflammation, signaling the body’s fight of infection; proliferation, where the wound size decreases and remodeling, which can take months as the skin tries to return to its normal structure.

A chronic wound is when an injury does not go through these phases in the right order, or within a specific amount of time. They show no progress within 30 days and tend to get stuck in the inflammation phase. Although wounds differ, the following factors can be contributors to a chronic wound.

• An increased level of inflammatory mediators
• Wound infection
• Biofilm protecting and containing the bacteria in the wound
• Hypoxia
• Poor nutrition

Types of Chronic Wound Care Treatments Available

Decisions on which treatment options are chosen, depends on the type of wound being treated. The underlying factors preventing the wound from healing are attended to first and if there is still no change, more specialized treatments are used.

• • Keeping Clean

    A salt solution is used to clean the wound when the dressing is changed.

• • Removal Of Dead Tissue

    Also known as debridement, it is necessary to remove dead or inflamed tissue to help clean the wound. Different techniques are used however, it can be a very painful process so painkillers, local or general anesthetic can bed used to make the patient more comfortable.

• • Wound Dressing

    Dressings are used to soak up secretions from the wound and act as a physical barrier between the wound and bacteria. A dressing can generally be kept on for several days, unless it is not coping with the amount of fluid leaving the wound or it moves out of place.

• • Compression Stockings

    For wounds where poor blood circulation is a contributing factor, compression stockings can be used to improve circulation and help with the healing process.

• • Antibiotics

    Antibiotics can be used to help clear the wound of infection when bacteria are present at the wound site.

• • Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

    This therapy can be used to improve the oxygen concentration in a patient’s blood as well as improve the blood supply to the wound, all of which contribute to the healing process.

• • Vacuum-assisted Closure Therapy

    This therapy involves covering the wound with an airtight dressing. The dressing is then connected to a pump and a small tube. The idea is to remove any seepage from the wound, while increasing blood flow to the wound site, encouraging healing.

  • Skin Grafts

    When a wound is too large for normal healing to take place, a piece of skin, generally taken from the thigh, is used to close the wound.

Different chronic wounds require different treatment or therapy approaches in order to heal properly. For this to happen, an assessment of the wound needs to be performed, to determine the course of action and which treatments will be most effective. CūtisCare is in partnership with numerous hospitals throughout the country to offer comprehensive wound care management centers to ensure that the patients receive the best possible treatment, together with a speedy recovery.