Wound Management

Wounds, including chronic and complex wounds, represent a tremendous challenge to the US health care system. In the United States alone, chronic wounds impact approximately 6.5 million patients, and the treatment of these wounds is estimated to cost $25 billion per year. Trauma, burns, skin cancers, infections, or underlying conditions, such as diabetes, can all contribute to a wound’s development and course. If one looks at the structure of wound terminology, they could ascertain that wound care is usually considered comorbid, defined by terms like diabetic foot ulcer, venous leg ulcer, and pressure injury.

The United States is one of the most litigious nations in the world, with the result that numerous medical malpractice lawsuits are initiated against hospitals and other health care facilities, as well as practitioners. Commonly, these lawsuits allege that the facility failed to meet standards of care related to management of wounds including pressure injuries, failed to provide adequate nutrition, and did not properly address issues such as incontinence.