How a Trip to the Wound Care Specialist Could Change Your Life
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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