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Avoiding chronicity is the goal of wound care professionals everywhere but doing so is rarely easy and not always possible. Understanding the underlying pathologies that led to wound development is a good starting point; however, resolving those issues can lead to the progression of wound healing.

When managing wounds, whether chronic or acute, health care professionals need to select dressings and devices that will help promote good outcomes for the patient.

Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) affect between 1% and 3% of the total US population and are especially prevalent in older adults. These wounds can be difficult to treat and often have high associated costs, as well as high recurrence rates.

Infection control and prevention have always been vital components of wound care, but with antimicrobial resistance on the rise, finding treatments that do not contribute to resistance has become more important than ever. In an effort to combat antimicrobial resistance, many health care professionals have been looking for alternative methods of treating infections.

Wound infections can result in delayed healing, as well as increased pain and distress to patients and their families. If left untreated, these infections may even lead to death. Organisms are becoming increasingly difficult to treat because of antibiotic resistance. Wound infections can also be costly to treat.

Wound infection and biofilm continue to emerge as causes of wound chronicity. Innovative technologies that break down the complex microbial communities inherent in these wounds are important considerations in the treatment plan. Advanced antimicrobial wound dressings play key roles in managing wound exudate and optimizing the wound healing environment.

Hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs) are a challenge for acute and post-acute care environments and are listed as a hospital-acquired condition by CMS. While other hospital-acquired conditions have seen a decrease in prevalence over the past decade, HAPUs are the only one that have not had a decrease in their prevalence.

The prevention of pressure injuries is a great concern in health care today. Many clinicians believe that pressure injury development is not the sole responsibility of the nursing staff, but the entire health care system. Therefore, the implementation of a comprehensive pressure injury prevention program requires an interdisciplinary approach to care that can save patients from unnecessary harm and death.

In 2020, outpatient wound clinics must have an antibiotic stewardship program in place. Preventing infection in surgical wounds is vital for positive patient outcomes; however, the diagnosis of moderate to heavy bacterial load in surgical wounds is problematic: clinical signs and symptoms and cultures can be inaccurate.

Pressure injuries are a growing problem. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), rates of pressure injuries are increasing faster than all other hospital-acquired conditions. To prevent pressure injuries, the standard of care is to reposition at risk patients every two hours.

In preventing the occurrence of pressure injuries, it is important to consider all entry points into a hospital in which a patient receives care. Although patients are occasionally admitted directly to a unit, the majority enter through the emergency department.

The number of people with diabetes mellitus (DM) has increased dramatically over the years. DM is a serious, life-long condition that is the seventh leading cause of death in North America. The presence of a diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) increases the likelihood of mortality over a five to 10-year period.

In wound healing, selecting the correct wound dressing can make all the difference for patient outcomes. An ideal wound dressing will manage moisture while maintaining a moist wound environment, prevent infection, conform to the wound bed and minimize pain during dressing changes.

Complex wounds create a challenge to both the health care team and the patients and families that struggle with them. The amount of care required to overcome the complicating factors of these wounds creates a large economic and labor burden on the health care system.

Wounds can be difficult to dress because of irregular body surfaces, exposure to moisture, or the shape or size of the wound itself. Join WOC nurse Dorothy Doughty to explore these challenges and to discuss an easy to use solution to overcome some of these obstacles.

Patients with wounds present to multiple health care providers across a multitude of practice settings. It is vital for all health care providers who encounter wounds to have an understanding of wound bed preparation. This program will describe work that has been done to expand on existing models of wound bed preparation using a step-wise method in a practical approach to incorporate into day-to-day practice.

Working with lymphedema patients, indeed patients with any type of edema, can be very challenging for clinicians because of the diagnosis and population, as well as the need for lymphology training across the disciplines involved in the care plan. Treating lymphedema and differentiating it from congestive heart failure, venous stasis, and renal failure requires a multidisciplinary approach.

Patients with wounds consume significant health care resources, both financial and personnel. These patients exist within all health care verticals and move between the health care settings regularly. With such constant movement, consistent wound measurement and tracking necessary to ensure proper continuity of care.

Wound debridement is the foundation for healing in chronic wounds. Excessive debridement is a detriment to healing, whereas proper removal of accumulated non-viable tissue or foreign material from the wound bed maintains a healthy progressive healing trajectory and avoids wound chronicity.

Nutrition is one of the main principles of wound healing. Without adequate nutrition, wound healing can become delayed or stalled. A multidisciplinary team, which includes Registered Dietitian consultations, is vital to developing a wound healing plan of care.