How to treat chronic wounds: A path to healing
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How to treat chronic wounds: A path to healing
Chronic wounds are a significant healthcare concern affecting millions of individuals worldwide. They pose a considerable burden on patients’ quality of life and can lead to severe complications if left untreated. Fortunately, advancements in wound care have revolutionized the treatment landscape, offering hope for those affected. There are key principles and emerging therapies that contribute to the healing process for chronic wound management.
Acute wounds progress through a predictable healing process in a predictable and timely manner. Chronic wounds fail to follow the normal stages of tissue repair. Chronic wounds often remain in the inflammatory phase, leading to prolonged inflammation, impaired blood supply, and disrupted cellular activity. Contributing factors may include biofilm, bacteria or fungal growth, poor circulation, diabetes, venous insufficiency and patient compliance.
Wounds are considered chronic if they fail to progress for 30 days or longer. If good local wound care has not been successful, then other causative factors need to be considered. The patient’s overall health, including nutritional status, underlying medical conditions, and lifestyle habits, should be assessed and modified as needed. Silent inflammation may also play a role in delayed wound healing by an overworked immune system.
Wound bed preparation plays a crucial role in creating an environment conducive to healing. This process involves removing devitalized tissue with various debridement methods. Infection must be treated and controlled. Excessive moisture or dryness will need to be optimized for cellular growth and migration. Chronic wounds will likely have a longer path to healing but following these principles and adjusting as needed is the key.
Wound dressings form the foundation of chronic wound management. They provide a protective barrier against infection, manage exudate, and facilitate a moist wound environment, which is essential for healing. However, basic traditional options like gauze packing and wet-dry may cause more harm than good. Traditional adhesive films and hydrocolloids have a place but are also not appropriate for all wounds. Advanced dressings such as hydrogels, foams, alginates and collagen wound dressings should be considered to promote healing and manage specific wound characteristics, especially for chronic wounds.
Advancements in wound care have brought forth innovative adjunctive modalities and therapies that harness the body’s regenerative potential. Biological therapies, such as growth factors, have shown promising results by stimulating cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and extracellular matrix formation. Cellular therapies, such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and stem cells, offer exciting avenues for chronic wound healing by enhancing tissue regeneration and modulating the inflammatory response.
Negative Pressure Wound Therapy, commonly known as NPWT, is a non-invasive treatment modality that uses controlled suction to promote wound healing. This therapy helps in reducing edema, increasing blood flow, and removing excess fluid from the wound bed. NPWT also promotes the growth of healthy granulation tissue and aids in wound contraction. It has become a valuable tool in managing chronic wounds, including diabetic foot ulcers and pressure ulcers. Newer NPWT models are also smaller and portable, making this option more reasonable.
Advanced therapies and emerging technologies have shown great potential in the treatment of chronic wounds. These include bioengineered skin substitutes, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), and electrical stimulation. Bioengineered skin substitutes provide a scaffold for cell migration and regeneration, while HBOT enhances oxygenation, accelerates healing, and combats infection. Electrical stimulation therapies utilize low-level electrical currents to promote cell proliferation and tissue repair.
The management of chronic wounds requires a multidisciplinary approach involving healthcare professionals from various fields, such as wound care specialists, nurses, dietitians, and physical therapists. Collaborative efforts ensure comprehensive assessment, tailored treatment plans, and ongoing monitoring of the wound’s progress. Equally important is patient education. Individuals must be empowered to participate in their wound care actively. Lifestyle modifications are often needed, as well as acceptance and adherence to prescribed treatment regimens.
Long-standing open wounds are a burden on the patient mentally, physically and financially.. Caring for these wounds may result in a change in mobility status and physical independence. Many people with wounds are reliant on care from family, friends and healthcare providers in facilities or their homes. Without care, many of these individuals will continue to decline.
The treatment of chronic wounds is a complex process that demands a multifaceted approach, addressing the underlying factors contributing to impaired healing. From traditional wound dressings to advanced therapies and emerging technologies, the field of wound care continues to evolve, offering new hope for patients. By combining a holistic assessment, optimal wound bed preparation, and a multidisciplinary approach, we can pave the way toward healing, improving the lives of those affected by chronic wounds.
©2020 Human Biosciences, Inc. The content presented here is for your information only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
Mrs. Vann is responsible for branding, design, and public outreach efforts for the company. Mrs. Vann has over five years of experience in the creative design arena. She has spearheaded multiple marketing campaigns, both domestic and international. She also has experience producing several television and live-stage programs. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Film and Video Studies from George Mason University.
Mr. Patel is the Vice President of Operations for Human BioSciences. As such, he is responsible for strategy development for optimal growth, organizing multiple teams and implementing optimal product delivery for the growth of HBS. He has served multiple positions within HBS since 2001, including Operations Manager. With an MBA in Pharmaceutical Healthcare and a Bachelor’s in Pharmaceuticals, Mr. Patel brings deep technical knowledge in collagen product production with a rich history in managing teams.
As the President of Human BioSciences, Dr. Rohan K Jain is responsible for the company’s overall operations, with a focus on research and development. Dr. Jain has supervised and conducted extensive research in the collagen, biomaterials, and protein space, resulting in the release of numerous new products to the market. Prior to his role at HBS, Dr. Jain was a capital markets attorney at Shearman & Sterling LLP. He received his Doctorate in Law and his MBA from New York University; his Bachelor’s degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science and his Master’s in Engineering Management from Johns Hopkins University. He is a member of the New York and Maryland bars.
Cheryl Carver, LPN, WCC, CWCA, CWCP, DAPWCA, FACCWS is responsible for clinical education and training initiatives for customer accounts. Ms. Carver has amassed a wealth of clinical knowledge and industry experience in her more than 20 years as a board-certified wound care nurse. She has authored over 200 published white papers, ebooks, blogs, and articles for WoundSource and freelance.
Dr. Goebel is responsible for the company’s physical infrastructure and global expansion efforts through partnerships. Prior to joining HBS, Dr. Goebel was Managing Director at the Graf Matuschka Group in Munich, Germany, where he was actively involved in restructuring and privatization in East Germany and Eastern Europe. He was also a member of the American group of the EBRD European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in the privatization of the Russian economy and military complex. He has over forty years’ experience in many different industries including medical devices, pharmacy, and others. Dr. Goebel earned his Doctorate and Postdoctoral degrees in Economics in East Berlin.
Mr. Kumar is responsible for the company’s overall accounting and finance activities with a focus on internal control and taxation.
Mr. Kumar has over 25 years of public and corporate accounting experience. He is a Certified Public Accountant, licensed in the State of Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C., and an Enrolled Agent authorized to practice before the Internal Revenue Service. Mr. Kumar is also a Chartered Accountant and fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. Mr. Kumar received his Master’s degree in Commerce from Himalayan University in India.
Mr. Slovick is responsible for all regulatory and quality affairs in the company. Mr. Slovick has worked in regulatory, quality, and clinical services within the medical device and diagnostics industry for nearly 40 years. He founded Methodize Inc., to offer strategic support for approval of medical devices and in vitro diagnostics products. Mr. Slovick has a Bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems.
Mr. Agarwal is responsible for Corporate Business Development, Sales, and Product Development, both locally and internationally for the company. Mr. Agarwal has over six years of corporate sales and business development experience. He completed his Master of Science in Engineering Management degree from Johns Hopkins University with a technical concentration in Mechanical Engineering. In the past, he has also worked as a fundraising volunteer for three years and thus gained insights in community fundraising and business development. Additionally, he has interned at a manufacturing firm and understood various intricacies involved in manufacturing ranging from the floor level to the supply chain. He has published a paper on Omni Channel Supply Chain and is a certified Lean Six Sigma associate. He has also interned as a business development consultant to a startup for market research and pricing strategies in Israel. Equipped with a combination of management and technical background acquired from his diverse experiences and education, he is perfectly suited to lead the business development efforts for Human BioSciences.