Wound Care and Healing

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Wound Care and Healing

• Health Science Technology

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Goals of Wound Care

• Remove necrotic tissue to promote wound healing
• Prevent, eliminate, or control infection
• Absorb drainage (exudate)
• Maintain a moist wound environment
• Protect the wound from further injury
• Protect the surrounding skin from infection and
  trauma

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Stages of Wound Healing

• 1.Primary Stage inflammation
• 2.Secondary Stage proliferation (granulation)
• 3. Tertiary Stage maturation (wound remodeling)

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Primary Stage of Wound Healing

• Inflammatory Phase caused by histamine and
  prostaglandin
• Lasts 4 - 6 days
• Edema leads to a reddened, swollen, and tender
  wound
• Healing process is controlled by the release of
  neutrophils and macrophages

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Secondary Stage of Wound Healing

• Proliferative or Granulation phase
• Begins 1-4 days after the injury and ends 14-21
  days later
• Rapid growth of epithelial cells to produce a
  protective covering for the wound
• Healthy granulation tissue has a healthy
  reddish-pink color

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Tertiary Stage of Wound Healing

• Maturation, or wound remodeling-
• Begins 14-21 days after the injury and can last
  up to 2 yrs.
• Scar shrinks and thins and becomes less red

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Wound Healing

• In order to accomplish the goals of wound care, a
  moist wound environment must be maintained
• Wound cannot be too dry or too moist
• All wounds require a dressing that is dry on the
  air-exposed side to prevent bacterial invasion
• Dressing should be secured over the wound and
  taped in place using the window paning method
  of taping

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Wound Treatments

• If epidermal (surface) injury
• -clean the wound, apply antibacterial ointment
  and cover
• If bleeding
• -Apply pressure with a gloved hand.
• -Elevate affected area above the level of the
  heart to slow blood flow-bleeding should stop
  after 10-15 minutes. Cover.

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Wound Treatment

• Antibiotics if animal/human bite, or if not
  cleaned properly
• Sutures if wound is deep or large
• Tegaderm or Hydrogel for elderly in lieu of
  sutures due to fragile skin.

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Types of Dressings

• Wound Vac-
• -used for wounds with excess exudate, excess
  edema, bacterial burden, absence of moisture
• Dry sterile dressing-used for wounds with little
  to no drainage.
• Wet to dry dressing-used for wounds in
  granulating phase of healing

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Alternative Wound Care Methods

• Maggot Therapy-

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Maggot Therapy

• Maggots can effectively
• -Debride (clean) the wound
• -Promote wound healing
• -Kill bacteria
• Maggot Debridement Therapy (MDT) is indicated for
  non-healing wounds such as
• -Venous ulcers, diabetic ulcers, etc.

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Leech Therapy

• -Leeches secrete an anticoagulant that increases
  blood flow
• -They are painless to attach because they secrete
  an anesthetic
• -Used primarily in Eastern medicine, but also in
  Western medicine.
• -Can be used for more than just wounds, ex
  psoriasis