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You might think that infected wound will heal naturally and leave you in peace without having to visit a wound care specialist; however, there can be a bit of a twist to this situation. Have you heard of severe chronic venous ulceration?

A case of chronic venous ulceration

Chronic Venous Ulceration occurs when someone has abnormal or damaged veins causing blood clots, poor circulation, and irritated, achy, irritated open wounds on the skin.

There is a special case that involves an 80-year-old woman who had first developed it in her late 20s. Over 10 episodes of ulceration have occurred, each one taking more time to heal.

The most recent ulcer exists for 7 years with few signs of healing. The intervals between infections have become shorter and the chronic oedema has become harder to control.

The condition may not have worsened if an intervention was conducted early on. In fact, visiting a wound care specialist might have prevented this from happening at all.

Assessment of the patient’s condition

She was brought to a community ulcer clinic to assess her worsening condition. Experts were able to evaluate the resting ankle brachial pressure index of the patient.

She received a full blood screening that revealed an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate due to a chronic infection and reduced hemoglobin of 10g.

The patient complained of weight loss and fatigue. Her skin showed evidence of dryness and flaking. She was later referred to a vascular assessment by a general practitioner after knowing her long history of unhealed ulceration.

A Duplex ultrasonography revealed that she has an incompetent long saphenous vein at the sapheno-femoral junction on both limbs.

At the same time, her susceptibility to leg ulceration was due to the venous stasis and oedema as a consequence to loss of function of the valves. No surgery was undertaken because of her fixed ankle, poor wound healing, and overall condition.

Outcome of the treatment program

Several procedures were employed to determine the factors delaying the healing and to try to fix them:

• Management of diarrhea
• Anemia and poor nutrition
• Depression and anxiety
• Reduced mobility
• Pain and oedema

Once her ulcer finally cleared, she experienced a significant lifestyle improvement. Although mobility is still limited, she is now able to happily socialize. Unfortunately, she is still at great risk of recurring ulceration due to the severity of her case.

Overall, there was evidence of poor practice based on the case history. In fact, this resulted in the extended duration of healing of the patient. Proper care in the beginning can dramatically improve the outcome in patients with chronic venous ulceration.

Advantages of hiring a wound care specialist

An infected wound is not only uncomfortable but can also become dangerous. Infections can move rapidly throughout the body and result to severe complications if not treated.

• Wound care specialist’s are experts at providing comfortable, outpatient wound care meeting your unique physical needs.
• They use wound care treatments that standard doctors are not qualified or trained in. Getting help from a wound care specialist maximizes your chances of long-term healing.
• They can treat all kinds of wounds and know exactly how to respond to your own wound efficiently to ensure your overall health.

Wound care specialists provide wound healing as a main specialty. If you have a similar condition or suspect a pattern leading to chronic venous ulceration, you should seek help as soon as possible.

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There are different signs that a wound is healing or not. If in case, your wound is not getting any better, it is best that you consult a wound healing specialist to handle the job.

Signs that your wound is not healing

• A pus is draining from the wound – When you see a clear fluid coming out of the wound at the beginning of the healing process, it is considered normal. However, when you notice a thick discharge, particularly thick, yellowish liquid, then the wound must be infected.

• Warmth or redness around the wound that is significantly spreading – When healing starts, wounds typically become swollen or slightly reddish. Poor healing is when the swelling and redness, accompanied by pain, are getting worse.

• Foul odor – When a dead tissue is present, it will produce a strange or unpleasant smell indicating necrosis.

• Increased feeling of pain – Some wounds get worse contrary to most wounds that can only remain painful at the beginning of healing. If you see a wound shows a lack of relief for many days, it only indicates a non-healing wound.

• Fever is prolonged – A serious complication may have resulted from the wound if a fever reaches more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit, lasting over 4 hours.

Signs that your wound is healing

There wound may undergo several stages of healing. Thus, small cuts and scrapes would heal faster compared to larger wounds like burns, surgical wounds, and ulcers. You may want to look at the following signs that the wound is getting better.

Formation of scab

The three most common stages of wound healing involve bleeding, clotting, and scab formation. This involves cuts, punctures, and scrapes. If you notice that there is no signs of scab formation, you must seek medical attention immediately.

Initial swelling

When there is swelling, it means that your immune system is working to repair your wound. You may also notice that a clear fluid will come out from the wound, which aids in the cleaning and disinfection of the damaged skin.

Growth of new tissue

When the swelling subsides, new tissue will begin to form. When the new skin forms over the wound, it means that the wound is shrinking.

Formation of scar

The final stage of the healing process will be the formation of the scar. This may result from deeper cuts, scrapes, and burns. This time, the initial scab will be replaced by a scar, where you will notice a new skin will feel tougher and less elastic.

There are different wound types that may need different methods of treatment. If you notice that wound healingis so slow or reversing itself, then it indicates that the method used is improper.

Thus, it will require the use of certain wound care products. Knowing how to determine the positive and negative signs of wound healing is key to help ensure that your wounds are healing properly.

It is advisable that you employ proper medical attention when your wound would last more than a few days or so.

Wondering if your wound is healing right? Look into the different kinds of wounds we treat by clicking here, and see if we have the kind of services you need!

Chronic wounds are those that did not heal within the expected time frame. Chronic wounds are also known as non-healing wounds affecting many the worldwide population.

Due to failure to complete wound healing, chronic wounds can greatly impact the quality of life because of anxiety, depression, financial burden, and social isolation.

The prevalence of chronic wounds worldwide led to the development of d treatment, extensive knowledge, and approach of wound healing for health care providers and wound care specialists to accurately treat and manage chronic wounds.

The below information aims to provide appropriate chronic wound care information to help assess and treat patients with chronic wounds.

Assessment of the patient’s general physical appearance

First is to conduct a thorough physical examination on the patient including the patient’s height, skin quality, and weight. Weight and height are factors to help primary care providers come up with appropriate nutritional management as nutrition is vital in the wound healing process.

Second is to check the skin color and see signs of erythema (redness of the skin). This must be done regardless of the patient’s skin color. But for dark-skinned patients, this can be done by checking the temperature and firmness of the skin around the wound.

Also, test the patient’s skin texture and elasticity by pulling up a fold of skin around the wound. If the skin tends to stand up like the tent position after you release it, it is an indication of dehydration.

Temperature. Check the temperature of the skin around the wound. Increased coldness or warmth is an indication of infection or impaired circulation.

Proper chronic wound care and assessment

• Check precise wound location
  • Measure the wound’s circumference and depth and classify wound depth as partial thickness or full thickness.
  • Inspect and record signs of redness, swelling, or any skin discoloration within the 4cm perimeter of the wound area. Doing so allows your wound care specialist to apply appropriate wound care and treatment to prevent the spread of infection.
  • Inspect and document wound discharge; color, amount, and odor. Make a note of the discharge like none, minimal, moderate, or heavy while clear and watery, watery with a hint of pale red, or bloody for the wound drainage. Include documentation of odor from absent, moderate, or strong.
  • Lastly, ask the patient to describe the level of pain based on the standard pain scale in your chronic wound care center.

Chronic wound treatment

• Clean the wound with saline solution before changing the dressing. If dressing is stuck to the wound, moisten it with the saline solution.
• Once the wound is clean, it is often followed by removing dead tissue (if necessary) using a scalpel or tweezers, or high-pressure water jet, or using species of maggots for this purpose
• Make sure to use the dressing that is appropriate to the wound type, appearance, and exudate. Some may use dressings with growth factors to promote the production of healthy body cells
• Compression bandages may be used as well if the reason for the chronic wound is due to poor blood circulation. Compression stockings or bandages will help healthy blood flow for faster healing.
• The use of antibiotics for chronic wound care depends on the severity of the wound.
• Other treatments include hyperbaric oxygen therapy, ultrasound and electromagnetic therapy, Vacuum Assisted therapy, and skin grafts.

With proper chronic wound assessment and treatment, this promotes faster healing while decreasing morbidity at the same time improve the overall quality of life.

Skin infection is a condition where fungi, viruses, bacteria, and parasites have invaded your skin and the tissues underneath. Any skin condition like a cut, bite, sting, puncture, or piercing can be potentially infected when germs get into your wound.

Although in most cases, an infected wound only happens on the skin surface and can be handled at home; there can be a skin infection that starts deeper in the wound and needs more medical attention.

Swelling, redness, and pain around the wound are normal, but these should go away a day or two after. But if these conditions persist, then you might be suffering from a skin infection.

So, what are some of the signs and indications of a skin infection?

• If the redness and swelling spreads
• If you see pus around the wound
• If you smell or notice smelly fluid out of the wound
• If you see yellowish crust on top of the wound
• If you can see sores around the wound
• If you feel excruciating pain after a few days
• If swelling continues and gets worse after a few days
• If you have a high fever
• Blisters
• Dark or discolored skin around the wound

There are different types of skin infections. These are classified into 4: bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic.

• A bacterial infection usually begins small and then gradually increases in size and can be medicated with a topical or oral antibiotic. Examples of bacterial infections include boils, leprosy, cellulitis, and impetigo.
• Viral infections are caused by a virus which ranges from mild to severe. Common types of viral infections are chickenpox, warts, hand, foot, and mouth disease, measles, and shingles.
• Fungal infections commonly grow in damp areas of the body like feet and armpit. An infected wound due to fungi is not life-threatening but still needs to be treated. Different types of fungal infections are athlete’s foot, nail fungus, diaper rash, ringworm, yeast infection, and oral thrush.
• A parasitic skin infection can spread to the bloodstream and even if non-life-threatening, this still needs to be addressed. Different types of parasitic infections include scabies, bedbugs, and lice.

An infected wound can be treated depending on the cause and severity. For bacterial infections, these are often treated by applying topical antibiotic directly on the wound, or with oral antibiotics.

For severe cases of strains resistant to treatment, an intravenous antibacterial may be necessary. OTC or Over-The-Counter sprays, ointments, powders, or creams are available for fungal infections, but if for conditions with no improvement; your doctor can prescribe oral or topical creams. The same goes for patristic wound skin infections.

Home care and wound management are recommended to reduce symptoms of an infected wound. However, if you notice one or more signs of skin infections, then you should see a doctor immediately.

Remember that swelling, redness, and pain are normal especially if your wound or cut is new, but it should go away in the next few days. But if the pain and swelling get worse a day or two after, then call your doctor or go to the hospital right away.

We specialize in diagnosis and treatment for any and all wound care issues for patients in San Diego County, Orange County, and Riverside County. For more information or to set an appointment, please contact us.

The country has been fighting a silent battle against chronic wounds and it’s getting worse every year. In 2009 alone, more than $25 billion was spent on wound care in the United States and that number keeps on increasing. A wound care clinic plays a crucial role in keeping the statistic of chronic wounds low and it should be your first port of call whenever you suffer from any kind of wound.

With this in mind, you need to know these four things that your wound care clinic needs to do properly:

Its staff should be properly trained.

Effective wound care needs a special set of skills. This is why it’s very important for all members of a wound care clinic to be trained properly in this practice. A lot of clinics may claim that their staff is trained when only their ostomy nurses and doctors have received true residency.

Wounds should be properly assessed.

Proper wound healing begins with proper debridement and this can only be achieved when the wound is assessed thoroughly before any treatment could be done.

A wound care clinic needs to have a thorough assessment procedure for all patients for the healthcare team to determine the right debridement procedure and other treatment options for them.

Wound care should be customized.

There is no one-size-fits-all in wound care since each wound is different and so is the response of the patient to it. A good wound care clinic should know this, which is why each treatment plan has to be created according to the patient’s needs.

This is especially true for using wound care products where choices can be overwhelming and it’s critical to choose the right products and use them properly to promote successful wound healing and avoid complications. A customized treatment plan will not only help a patient get the best results but also reduce the costs of treatment significantly by making sure that only the most effective products are used.

A holistic approach should be implemented.

A lot of wound care clinics focus only on addressing the wound but not the entire healing process itself. So after assessing the wound, cleaning it, and prescribing medications, patients are usually left to care for their wound at home and not have any guidance as they go through the journey of wound healing.

But a good wound care clinic will not only offer the best treatments but also keep track of the patient’s healing rate so adjustments can be made depending on the progress of his treatment.

The bottomline

It’s been proven over the years that poor wound care translates to bigger costs and severe outcomes and complications for patients.

So if you’re suffering from a wound and you would want to get the best results from your treatment, it’s very important to find the right wound care clinic to offer you the best service possible.

We specialize in diagnosis and treatment for any and all wound care issues for patients in San Diego County, Orange County, and Riverside County. For more information or to set an appointment, please contact us.