Infected Wounds

The incorporation of silver into wound dressings has been a breakthrough to combat the effects of antibiotic resistance, despite silver safety concerns. Regardless of its recent popularity, silver is not a new tool in health care.

by Hy-Tape International In order to promote rapid healing, improve patient comfort and prevent complications, it is important that healthcare professionals actively work to prevent infection. One key component of that effort is wound dressing securement. Secure, gentle and effective dressings can help prevent the ingress of foreign material, reduce damage during dressing changes and help foster an ideal healing environment. This can help reduce the risk of infection, improving patient outcomes and lowering costs.1 In this post, we will explore the importance of infection prevention and effective dressing securement strategies to help prevent infection.

By Bruce E. Ruben MD This particular blog is not necessarily intended to educate, but to be a thinking piece that asks more questions than it answers.

Successful care of surgical wounds begins with a comprehensive assessment of both the wound and the patient, including a clear understanding of the type and class of surgical wound. Psychosocial factors affecting healing and well-being, are essential to consider as well.

By the WoundSource Editors Whether due to injury or surgery, wound healing normally progresses steadily through an orderly set of stages. Wounds that don't heal within 30 days are considered chronic. Wounds that become chronic generally stall in one or more of the phases of wound healing. Here are 10 of the most common factors affecting wound healing in chronic wounds:

Delayed wound healing occurs in various wound types and in patients with significant comorbidities. Hard-to-heal wounds have proven to be a challenging and worldwide crisis resulting in high financial burdens.

Biofilms are found in the majority of chronic wounds and pose a critical health threat, causing nearly 80% of refractory nosocomial infections. They also have a damaging virulence mechanism, which induces resistance to antimicrobials and evasion from the host’s immune system. Over 90% of chronic wounds contain bacteria and fungi living within a biofilm construct. Biofilms have been reported as major contributing factors to a multitude of chronic inflammatory diseases. Given the resistance of the bacteria, biofilms increase the risk of infection and cost the health care system millions of dollars annually. Clinicians should have practical knowledge of the role and impact that biofilms play in impeding chronic wounds, thus leading to risks of complications such as infection.

By Emily Greenstein, APRN, CNP, CWON, FACCWS It’s that time of year again. For the leaves to change, all the ghouls and goblins to come alive, and for a sudden influx of sugar! After the success of last year's blog post "How Being a Wound Specialist Can Help You Survive a Zombie Apocalypse," I knew I had to do another Halloween-themed post. In my practice I have seen an influx of animals bites this summer, which got me to thinking, what if you were bitten by a werewolf or vampire?