Wound clinic

How a Wound Can Become Infected

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Wounds can become infected in a number of different ways through various infectious agents.

Virus Infection

Viruses may range in a variety of sizes and shapes. But outside a living cell, a virus is just a dormant particle. So it requires a host cell to go into action, as it highjacks the metabolic machinery of the cell to produce copies of itself.

Basically, viruses are just packets of nucleic acid, surrounded by a protein shell or fatty materials called lipids. It can gain entry into the body via absorption, inhalation, or through an infected wound.

Viruses are also responsible for a huge array of diseases, which include the common cold, chickenpox, genital herpes, influenza, or measles.

Bacteria

Bacteria are another factor that can cause an infected wound. This happens when bacteria grow within the damaged skin of a wound. The symptoms include pain, swelling, and redness.

A patient will be able to treat minor wound infections from home. But those with more persistent or severe wound infections must seek medical attention. Bacteria gain entry into cuts grazes, or other breaks in the skin and cause wound infection.

Other Infectious Agents

There are other types of infectious agents to cause infection to the body. Such would include fungi, protozoa, and helminthes.

  • Fungi – These are spore-forming organisms that can range from bread mold to ringworm to histoplasmosis.
  • Protozoa – These are the infectious agents behind dysentery and malaria.
  • Helminthes – These are parasitic worms that cause hookworm, schistosomiasis, and trichinosis.
  • Prions – These are other types of infectious agents that consist only of protein. Since they evoke no immune response and resist heat, radiation, sterilization, and ultraviolet light, controlling them are quite difficult.

Microorganisms can cause certain diseases through the pathogens that enter the body through the eyes, mouth, nose, or urogenital openings. Moreover, they can gain passage through an infected wound or bite that breaches the skin barrier.

Basically, an infection may not lead to disease. Infection only occurs when bacteria, viruses, and other infectious microbes will enter the body and begin to multiply. So diseases will occur when the cells in the body will be damaged as the result of the infection. Then, the signs and symptoms of an illness will appear.

Recognizing a Wound Infection

When a wound becomes infected, the condition will get worse instead of better. So any pain, redness, and swelling will increase in intensity. When bacteria enter the wound, it begins to multiply.

Bacteria may come from the surrounding skin, the object that caused the injury, or the external environment. There is a higher risk to the infected wound if one of the following statements is true.

  • The wound is deep, large, or with a jagged edge
  • There is dirt or foreign particles that entered the wound
  • The wound was caused by a bite from a human or an animal
  • The cause of the wound was due to an injury with a dirty, contaminated, or rusty object.

If a person will not receive treatment for the infected wound, this can spread to other parts of the body, leading to serious complications.

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.

wounds - clinic

How Wounds Are Typically Closed

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Do you know that wounds must be closed so that they can heal quickly without infection or with minimal scarring? There are many ways that a wound or surgical incision can be kept tightly closed.

Sometimes, incisions or wounds may not be closed during surgery but only after the healing has started. Keeping wounds closed is important to avoid infection.

Since the skin is the barrier between the body and bacteria in the environment, open skin will increase the risk of having an infection.

It is important to undergo proper incision care from a wound specialist regardless of how wounds are closed. This will improve the healing by reducing the chances of infection as it provides a clean environment for the wound to heal.

Primary Intention or Closing The Wound Right Away

When the wound is closed right away, most wounds will heal by applying primary intention. If a wound will fit neatly together, it is referred to as well-approximated.

This is when the wound specialist will bring together the edges that require stitches or sutures or another method to close the wound up. If the wound has irregular edges, the skin can be trimmed to make its shape more regular and make the closure easier.

Closing Via Secondary Intention

When a wound can’t be brought together to be neatly closed, it requires secondary intention. For some wounds that require removal of a tissue, the skin can no longer be pulled back together in a neat shape.

Wound filling or granulation is necessary to fill in the area being removed. But the amount of granulation will depend on the size of the tissue that require filling. The process will take a longer period of time if the wound is open because a new skin cell has a greater area to fill.

Tertiary Intention Or Delayed Wound Closure

This is a method where the wound specialist will keep the wound is not closed immediately. This means that the wound must be closed only at a later date due to the fact that it is better if it will be closed in the future.

Although some wounds need to be closed immediately, others benefit from a delayed wound closure. This can be done after surgery, to treat a wound that is contaminated, needs repeated cleansing, or likely to become infected.

This can be comparable to a major intestinal surgery wherein a large incision is made and the surgery has been performed.

Common Ways Of Closing Wounds

 
Surgical Staples

Surgical staples are useful to hold a wound together. Moreover, they are quite easy to place, strong enough to hold a wound closed in an area that moves frequently, and painless to remove.

Sutures

They are also known as stitches that are made of synthetic thread used to sew a wound together, such as closing deep cuts. Sutures are also inexpensive and can be placed quickly. They can be removed by a wound specialist in which the length of time it remains in place depends on the type of wound.

Dermabond Surgical Glue

In order to close a wound, some methods apply a super glue to keep an incision closed. This is suitable for small incisions without needing much strength to keep it in place for healing.

Steristrips

These are small stripes of sterile adhesive materials to tape a wound and keep it closed. This is advisable for small incisions that do not experience much stress during the healing process.

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.

wound healing improvements

Wound Healing and Diabetes: Improving Wound Healing

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Poor blood circulation due to diabetes can slow the process of wound healing. Slow circulation also slows the blood and the necessary nutrients to reach wounds.  With slow blood circulation, wounds also heal slowly. Or worse, wounds may not heal at all.

People with diabetes must take extra precautions; avoid getting into accidents, or falls that you might end up getting a wound from. Small cuts, blisters, and abrasions can occur anywhere on your body, but wounds on the foot can quickly develop into a foot ulcer.

Foot ulcers if poorly treated or left not treated at all can lead to amputation. Avoid catching foot wounds as much as possible or closely monitor any wounds. For individuals with diabetes, wounds progress quickly but heal slowly.

What are the factors that can affect wound healing?

Your body’s ability to heal wounds can be affected by numerous reasons if you have diabetes.

  • Blood Glucose Level – since the body has difficulty using insulin and convert it into energy, it will result in a high blood glucose level. Increased blood glucose level can cause narrowing of blood vessels, diabetic neuropathy increases inflammation in body cells, and hinders the immune system from functioning properly. With poor nutrients and oxygen flowing to the wound area, wound healing is slowed down.
  • The inefficiency of the immune system – with diabetes and high blood sugar level, it impairs the function of white blood cells to fight bacteria and infection.
  • Circulation problems – due to narrowed blood vessels, oxygen, and nutrients circulation is hindered from reaching the wounds and areas around the wounds. Because of less oxygen and nutrients, wounds do not heal quickly.
  • Increased infection – due to high glucose levels, white blood cells are limited with its functions to fight against infection and bacteria. And since individuals with diabetes have wounds that heal slowly, the wound is open longer which makes it prone to the chance of infection.
  • Chronic inflammation – for a diabetic person it’s hard to produce collagen. Due to degrading collagen, wound inflammation lasts longer and would become chronic.

How to improve wound healing?

  • Healthy diet – maintain a healthy and balanced diet. Getting the right nutrition will help regulate your blood sugar level. It is also important to consume enough protein that helps repair tissue and skin.
  • Regular exercise – daily activity and exercise promote healthy blood circulation. It stimulates blood and oxygen circulation to different body parts.
  • Regular checks and sugar level monitoring – frequently check your feet for new wounds. Early detection prevents further infection and complications.
  • Keep your wound dry and clean – maintain proper wound care as per your doctor’s advice. Regularly change dressings and administer special wound care treatment.
  • Keep pressure off – let the wound breathe and avoid pressure around the wound area that can cause further damage to your skin tissue.
  • Stop smoking – smoking can impair your immune system and cardiovascular system. It also affects your cells’ ability to carry oxygen.

Take extra care when it comes to treating your wound if you have diabetes. Be extra careful and always self-check.

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.

open wound care center

Open Wounds and When to Visit a Wound Care Center

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An open wound is an injury caused by accidents or sharp objects. It is the type of injury that exposes the internal tissue out in the external environment. Minor open wounds can be treated at home with home and natural remedies or medication.

For open wounds caused by serious accidents, proper medical care must be administered in the soonest amount of time possible.

What are the different types of open wounds?

  • Puncture – a wound caused by a pointy object like a needle, splinter, or nail. Although puncture wounds do not bleed that much, it is still required to visit a wound care center for your doctor to give you proper medication or tetanus shot to prevent infection. The same goes for puncture wounds caused by a bullet shot or knife that may damage deep muscle and tissue or internal organs.
  • Laceration – a tear in the skin due to accidents or sharp objects. A laceration can be a deep opening in the skin or a tear in the skin. Deep lacerations caused by sharp tools can cause extensive bleeding.
  • Abrasion – a type of open wound that occurs when the skin is rubbed on a rough or hard surface. It is also commonly called scrape which only produces minimal blood. Abrasions can be treated by sanitizing the wound and removing any debris to prevent infection.
  • Avulsion – is an open wound that bleeds heavily usually caused by gunshots and serious accidents. It can be a partial tearing of the skin and tissue or complete tearing of the skin. An open wound like an avulsion needs to be treated immediately by a professional from a wound care center.

Treatments for open wounds

Open wound treatments can be done at home or at a wound care center depending on the severity of the case. Minor open wounds can be treated at home while some open wound requires a trip to your doctor or nearest wound care center.

First, wash and disinfect the wound. The wound must be free from debris or dirt. Once properly disinfected, wrap the wound with a sterile bandage. But for minor wounds, it will heal without a bandage. Apply ice around the wound if you notice bruising or swelling. Clean your wound every day and change the dressing to keep it dry.

But there is a greater risk of infection if your open wound is not immediately treated. If your wound is ½ deeper or won’t stop bleeding after applying pressure or after 20 minutes, then you need to visit a wound care center for immediate medical care.

Also, if you see thick yellow or green liquid in your wound, increase in drainage, or smell a foul odor, see your doctor right away.

Professional Medical Help

Seeking professional medical help from a wound care center ensures proper wound care. Your doctor will apply appropriate techniques, treatment, and medication. In serious cases, this may require procedures to remove affected and infected tissue.

Whether you have a minor or serious open wound, it is important to apply a quick remedy. But a trip to a wound care center reduces the risk of wound infection and complication.

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.

immune system and wound healing

The Immune System’s Role in Wound Healing

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It might not be talked about as much as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, but chronic wounds are one of the most devastating medical conditions around the world.

Medical experts dub it as the silent epidemic because it affects so many people around the world causing high morbidity and mortality rates.

In the United States alone, at least 6.7 million people suffer from chronic wounds and it is becoming an economic burden because of how much money is spent on wound care each year.

This is why primary wound healing is becoming more important today. This complex process of how a body heals itself may still not be fully understood even by medical experts, but they know one thing for sure, the immune system plays a very important role in making it happen.

Phases of Wound Healing

When you incur a wound, it goes through four phases of healing: hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. Also known as primary wound healing, these processes all involve the immune system in making sure that they progress well and give a patient the best outcomes possible.

Hemostasis

The moment you get a wound from hitting the ground or cutting yourself, your platelets will instantly aggregate to the affected area to initiate a clot. This is your body’s response to the damage in your skin layers and blood vessels to prevent further blood loss.

Inflammation

Once the platelets have already formed a clot on the wound, the next step in primary wound healing is inflammation. At this point, redness and swelling occur at the damaged site to allow immune cells called neutrophils to reach the area and start removing bacteria from the wound.

After this, monocytes are also released and differentiate into macrophages where they prepare the wound for tissue repair.

Proliferation

As the proliferative phase begins, the macrophages help with tissue repair by reconstructing the tissue’s extracellular matrix, which will serve as scaffolding for cells to form new tissues.

During this phase, fibroblast growth factors are produced to help with the growth of fibroblasts that play a huge role in the remodeling phase.

The extracellular matrix is already complete at this point and the macrophages can now begin creating skin cells that will close the wounded area. Myofibroblasts also work on the area to close the wound by imitating the contraction of muscles that result in the permanent closure of the wound to protect it from exposure to the external environment, which could cause infections.

Remodeling

This last stage of primary wound healing takes the longest time since the immune cells will work on creating a permanent closure of the wound and a complete repair of the tissues underneath the skin.

The challenge for the healthcare system now is the growing rates of chronic wounds caused by pre-existing medical conditions like diabetes that can affect the natural wound healing process significantly. This is why boosting the immune system is now a huge part of the treatment process for individuals with chronic wounds.

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.

chronic wound

Chronic Wounds in the U.S. Today: Everything You Need to Know

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When you think about a wound, you don’t usually see it as something as serious as hypertension, diabetes or cancer. But in reality, at least 6.7 million Americans live with chronic wounds and more than $25 billion is spent on chronic wound care each year.

Although chronic wounds are rarely seen in healthy individuals, those already with pre-existing conditions become more susceptible from being affected by them.

Unfortunately, there is a growing population of Americans suffering from diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and coronary diseases.

What is a Chronic Wound?

A chronic wound is essentially a type of wound that doesn’t follow the normal stages of wound healing. Wounds that don’t heal within three months are categorized as chronic and they would require the specialized treatment of a wound care clinic.

Chronic wounds are more prevalent in individuals with pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes and obesity that affects their body’s ability to heal wounds in a timely manner.

Although a chronic wound is overshadowed by more common diseases, a lot of people are suffering from it that experts call it the silent epidemic.

What makes Americans more Predisposed to Chronic Wounds?

A chronic wound is a problem around the world. In fact, about 2% of the world’s population is projected to suffer from a type of chronic wound at some point in their lives.

But Americans are becoming more susceptible to chronic wounds due to an aging population and an increasing rate of chronic medical conditions that contribute to the delay in wound healing, thus the need for a wound care clinic. 

  • Cardiovascular disease. According to studies, at least 1 in 3 Americans suffer from a form of cardiovascular disease and it is also one of the most common predisposing factors for chronic wounds. In fact, 82% of leg amputations resulted because of poor circulation on the affected limb due to an existing cardiovascular condition.
  • Diabetes. At least 30.3 million Americans live with diabetes and 1 in 4 will experience a foot ulcer. Diabetes is still the leading cause of chronic wounds in the U.S. and 15% of patients with foot ulcers get amputated. Unfortunately, 50% of diabetic patients still die within 5 years after amputation.
  • Peripheral artery disease. 1 in 8 Americans over the age of 60 suffer from PAD, which contributes to at least 10% of all lower extremity ulcers that also causes delayed wound healing and increases the risk for limb loss.

What is the Role of a Wound Care Clinic?

With such staggering numbers, the need for a good wound care clinic in the United States has never been more important. In fact, wound care clinics and wound care specialists have a huge role to play in helping people save their limbs and their lives.

A wound care clinic could treat conditions like diabetic wounds, ulcers, swelling in the lower extremities, and pressure ulcers to give a better prognosis to patients who are already suffering from pre-existing medical conditions.

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.

wound specialist

Hospitals and Wound Care Management

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Wounds need proper care to repair and heal. Wound care wound healing and complications are here to stay. The demands of wound care are increasing over the years. Hospitals have established their wound care management team to accommodate the growing patient population.

The wound care centers in hospitals are established to provide a comprehensive and individualized plan of care for all types of wounds from simple cuts and scrapes to the most complex.

The same with other hospital departments, a wound care center is equipped with advanced tools and technology. It also comprises competent, certified, and licensed workers so patients are confident of receiving multi-disciplinary wound management and treatment.

Creating a wound care center helps a patient to convenient access to the following:

  • Different wound healing techniques
  • Assessment
  • Prevention and Education
  • Pain Management

Wound care management departments in hospitals are both beneficial to the patients and wound care workers; nurses, doctors, therapists. Below are some of the wound care center benefits that work best for patients and wound care workers:

  • In-depth wound care to patients with chronic, surgical, and traumatic wounds.
  • Provide continuous care to key surgery departments like oncology, plastic surgery, cardiology, orthopedic, and vascular.
  • Correlating of systematic wound care treatment and management from physicians, dietitians, therapists, and nurses.
  • Gather data from other care institutions to the most updated wound care statistics and to introduce the most effective wound care program for better wound outcomes.
  • Provide regular updates to patients regarding wound care and management using the latest wound care products
  • Specialized and immediate wound treatment and management
  • Hospital stays and workloads are reduced while the infection rate is less

Hospital wound care centers use the latest technology to treat wounds and treat the cause of such a problem. The use of advanced technology is immensely useful for patients with wound conditions that are resistant to the traditional methods of healing and those with chronic wounds.

Below are some of the services offered in hospital wound care centers:

  • Bioengineered skin that looks close to human skin used to treat severe wound conditions
  • Debridement is the removal of the dead or infected tissue to promote faster and better healing
  • Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) the approach used to treat chronic or non-healing wounds. The treatment works by placing the patient in a pressurized chamber with 100% oxygen. Frequency of sessions depends on the wound condition and the healing process is dependent on the level of oxygen
  • Skin grafting is a procedure to replace skin burns with skin substitutes as temporary wound covering. The process promotes healing and stimulates skin growth
  • Negative Pressure Wound Therapy, this treatment works by using negative pressure to remove edema or swelling fluid

Setting up a wound care center may take time to be realized as it involves looking for the best and specialists in the field. The wound care management department is known to reduce hospital stay for patients.

It also lessens the burden of over worked medical and health care workers. Most of all, it promotes and develop wound treatment and program based on each client’s unique needs.

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.

stages of wound healing

Signs of Poor Wound Healing

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There are different types of wounds that are caused by a variety of reasons. It can be due to an accident, trauma, or medical reasons. Every wound goes through different stages of wound healing depending on the size and severity of the cut.

Small scrapes and cuts heal faster compared to larger wound openings, abrasions, and burns.

However, millions of people across the globe have been experiencing slow healing wounds. This is likely to increase according to the U.S National Institutes of Health.

Age, lifestyle, medical condition, and diet are four main factors that can greatly affect the stages of wound healing.

Poor Wound Healing

Poor wound healing can lead to more serious problems or even death. Thus, it is vital to look for signs of poor wound healing. If you experience or see any of the following signs of slow wound healing, get in touch with your doctor immediately:

  • Pain – it is normal to feel pain at a certain phase of the healing process. However, worsening pain or discomfort is an indication of a chronic wound. If you still experience pain even after administering pain reliever, then most likely you are dealing with a slow-healing wound.
  • Odor – wounds emit a certain odor, but it is important to recognize if it is foul-smelling. A healing wound should not emit an unpleasant odor.  And if the prescribed medication is not helping at all, then you may be dealing with a poor-healing wound.
  • Thick discharge or Pus – clear fluid is normal during the healing process, but a thick, yellowish discharge is an indication of an infection. It is recommended to wash the wound with warm water and soap. If there is no improvement, then consult with your doctor.
  • Redness and Swelling – redness or swelling accompanied by pain could be a sign of poor healing wound.
  • Timing or 30-day Rule – normally, wounds heal after 30 days. If a wound does not improve or there is no progress during this period, better consult with your doctor.

Different stages of wound healing happen one at a time. A normal wound will look red, swollen, and watery during the healing process. But the above-mentioned signs are not to be taken for granted. 

Underlying Medical Conditions

Underlying medical conditions can slow down the healing process. Infections and complications are other factors that may impair the stages of wound healing.

Always follow your doctor’s advice and proper wound care. Make use of the available wound care kits and supplies to achieve the full healing process. A good indication that your wound is healing is that you might see new skin patches or tissues around the wound or the cut begins to shrink.

Avoid peeling or scrubbing the patches on your wound to prevent irritation. If you see no improvement or progress at all after 30 days even after following all the wound proper care instructions and medications, it is time to seek professional help.

Do not attempt to self-medicate. Slow and poor-healing wounds must be addressed immediately.

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.

hyperbaric oxygen therapy

What You Need to Know About Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

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Wound healing is still one of the most studied areas in health today. With millions of people suffering from chronic wounds around the world, the quest for different types of techniques and therapies that help promote wound healing still continue to this day.

One of the most popular wound care methods is hyperbaric oxygen therapy. But is it really effective and what are its uses?

What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?

Following the idea that a wound needs oxygen to heal properly and completely, hyperbaric oxygen therapy was introduced in the medical world where the patient is exposed to 100% oxygen that’s more than normal levels. This exposure is done to win a hyperbaric oxygen chamber where it is believed to help speed up wound healing.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is recommended as part of wound care for different types of wounds including burns, skin grafts and flaps, radiation and crush injuries, infected wounds and even diabetes-related wounds.

By exposing the body to higher levels of oxygen, the body is given the chance to release growth factors and stem cells that play a huge role in wound healing while stimulating the body’s defenses to fight against bacteria that causes infection and delayed wound healing.

Aside from wounds, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is also used as part of the treatment for severe anemia, vision loss, carbon monoxide poisoning, decompression sickness, arterial gas embolism, and brain abscess. This technique has also been used to help scuba divers decompress after a long dive.

What are the Preparations for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?

Since hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a sensitive procedure, some steps need to be followed to prepare the patient to go into the chamber. For one, the patient will be asked to remove his clothing and leave everything else outside the chamber to avoid any sparks. Claustrophobic patients are also asked to breathe normally and relax by listening to music or watching TV while the therapy is ongoing.

They can also talk to the therapist during the treatment to communicate their feelings and so they don’t feel anxious while inside the chamber. A regular session could last from 30 minutes up to 2 hours. After the procedure, the therapist will slowly de-pressurize the chamber and let the patient rest, as he may feel lightheaded or tired for a short amount of time. This is because the body is adjusting back to the normal levels of oxygen in the body after being exposed to 100% oxygen during the treatment.

What are the Risks?

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is generally safe and while some patients may experience side effects, they’re usually rare and not as serious. But some of the risks in this procedure include nearsightedness, decompression sickness, low blood sugar, and even seizures. This is why a patient is carefully evaluated by professionals before being recommended to undergo hyperbaric oxygen therapy. It’s also very important to share a patient’s complete medical history for the healthcare provider to determine if this type of therapy is safe or not.

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.

Chronic Wound

The Four Things You Need to Know About Jelonet Wound Dressing

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Although not as widely discussed as bigger health conditions like cancer, diabetes or heart disease, a chronic wound is actually considered a silent epidemic because, in the United States alone, 6.5 million patients are suffering from it. In fact, at least 1-2% of the population in developed countries has experienced a chronic wound in their lifetime.

The good thing about a chronic wound, however, is that it’s completely preventable with the right techniques that help promote wound healing, one of which is a proper wound dressing. For light to moderate wounds like abrasions and minor burns, a Jelonet dressing is commonly used to provide a moist environment for the wound to properly heal in the quickest time possible.

What is Jelonet dressing?

There are many dressings available in the market, but Jelonet dressing is a choice among a lot of healthcare providers because it gets the job done when it comes to wound dressing.

This non-medicated gauze dressing is designed to be latex-free, low-adherent and soothing so it allows for the exudate to move freely to the secondary dressing while keeping the wound bed as moist as possible.

Jelonet dressings also use open weave gauze that can be cut to any shape without worrying about fraying. It is also safe to use with any antiseptic or topical antibiotic, which is why it’s highly recommended by a lot of healthcare professionals.

What are the uses of a Jelonet dressing?

A Jelonet wound dressing is commonly used to dress minor burns and scalds, skin graft sites and other types of wounds that involve a loss of skin mainly because the gauze doesn’t stick to the wound, which can be very painful to remove during a dressing change.

This type of dressing is also used for lacerations, abrasions and even leg ulcers for the same reason that it doesn’t adhere to the wound bed, it allows for free movement of the wound exudate and it promotes faster wound healing through proper moisture of the affected area.

When is Jelonet dressing not applicable to a wound?

Although Jelonet dressing is one of the best types of wound dressing out there, it still has some limitations with its uses. For instance, when you use Jelonet dressing on a wound with a lot of exudates, it could cause semi-occlusive tissue maceration, which might prevent the heavy exudates from draining into the secondary dressing and could potentially lead to an infection.

You should also take note that using a Jelonet dressing means daily changes depending on the condition of the wound, especially since this type of dressing is not absorbent.

To make sure that you’re using Jelonet dressing properly and for the right type of wound, it’s still best to consult your doctor for advice, especially if you’re applying it on a leg ulcer where you might need to apply an antibiotic or antiseptic before putting the dressing on the wound.

If you notice any redness, itching or discomfort on the area where Jelonet dressing is applied, make sure to consult your doctor right away to avoid further complications.

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.