What is wound care?
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What is wound care?
Wound care is the practice of treating skin injuries to promote healing. Wound care typically involves cleansing and dressing wounds and preventing and treating infections. Wound care manages underlying conditions that may delay healing, such as diabetes and poor circulation. Good wound care will require a team approach between various medical providers, specialists, with patient compliance and caregiver assistance.
Those who care for a minor wound at home may need simple solutions such as cleaning a cut and keeping it covered daily until it heals. Other wounds may require medical attention for more extensive treatment protocols that require specialized advanced dressings and incorporating medications for pain management and infection control. The goal of most wound care is to heal the wound as quickly as possible. However, not all wounds have the potential to heal. For people toward the end of life, skin failure and breakdown may be unavoidable. The goal, in this instance, will be to limit deterioration, manage odor and drainage.
When wound care is performed in a medical setting, a doctor or specialist initiates an assessment to determine the level of injury. Specialized testing for proper diagnosis and development of an appropriate care plan may be performed. Daily care of the wound may be performed by nurses or therapists. Severe wound issues may require inpatient hospitalization for surgical intervention for the removal of dead necrotic tissue, infection management, or to help revascularize blood flow to the area to promote healing.
When medically stable for discharge from the hospital, people may continue to require medical care. Depending on the wound location on the body and the intricate needs of the dressing protocol, some patients will be able to manage with guided self-care. Others may be reliant on family or friend caregiver support. More complicated treatments may require home care services for those people who are homebound. Others will need frequent treatments in an outpatient wound care clinic. Managing a wound care case will have many factors beyond just the wound presentation; comorbidities, living situations, mobility concerns and insurance limitations will be significant drivers of the care plan.
How wounds start are divided into four main categories of wounds.
When wounds are healing, all four phases of healing will occur in an organized and progressive manner.
Infection is a potential issue through any phase of healing. Cardinal signs of infection will include increased redness, pain, swelling and odor. Oral antibiotics are a common treatment of infection but intravenous antibiotics may be required for chronic and severe infections. Patients with poor circulation may require a multimodal approach for a distal nonhealing wound especially if diabetes is a contributing comorbidity. Specialty antimicrobial wound cleansers and advanced wound care dressing may be used to treat infection topically.
In early wound care history, gauze was the primary wound care product with the goal of keeping the area protected. Between 1970-90s, moist wound healing became a standard of care when studies showed faster healing, less pain with dressing changes and improved scar appearance. These results revolutionized the wound care industry with dressing innovations and categories that donated moisture or absorbed excess drainage. Different products may be needed at different times especially depending on drainage, infection and depth. More recently dressings have become more biologically active and can be appropriately used during a variety of stages and wound presentations.
When wound healing is complicated wounds, additional modalities can be used to improve healing. Offloading or pressure relief is often required when mobility is an issue and bony prominences are at risk for further breakdown. This may include turning and positioning, pressure-relieving mattresses or cushions and increasing mobility with physical therapy. Electric stimulation has been found to increase blood flow and encourage new cell growth. Light therapy has been used to improve angiogenesis. Compression is often used with venous insufficiency and chronic edema. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an option for ischemic and necrotic areas, which can be beneficial to people with diabetes. Negative pressure wound therapy is another tool that may be used for dehisced, deep and large surface area wounds.
What wound treatment is appropriate for a wound will likely change throughout the course of the healing journey. Treatment will continue until the wound is fully closed and there is no longer drainage. Extra protection with barrier creams and scar products may be needed while the new tissue is still maturing. New tissue is fragile for a significant period of time and is not as strong as the surrounding non-injured skin. New breakdown in the same location is possible if friction, shear and pressure are not minimized.
Scar tissue formation is a consideration of care after the wound has healed. Many patients have concerns over cosmetic appearance for a natural-looking scar. Scars can take over a year to transition from a purple/red state to their pale final version. The use of SPF during this time is often recommended to prevent discoloration from lasting. Scar massages can help with the desensitization of hyperactive scars and improve skin mobility to prevent adhesions. Cosmetic treatments like lasers, microneedling and the use of topical agents like silicone and scar fade creams on a daily basis can help to improve appearance under the supervision of dermatologists, plastic surgeons and/or aestheticians to develop a personalized plan.
©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.