Assessment
Wound Care and assessment starts is non-linear with a holistic approach. Visualising the wound and discussing the patient’s previous relevant medical history is a cornerstone to effective wound care. This allows for the integration of multidisciplinary teams eg, allied health and medical practitioners to manage the root cause of a chronic wound or what leads to an acute injury.
tissue management
Wound healing aims to create an optimal wound healing environment that encourages vascularised and stable wound bed. This includes assessment of tissue viability and possible debridement of non-viable tissue to create a purposeful approach to wound care. Debridement includes 5 different methods these are autolytic, enzymatic, chemical, surgical or mechanical.
infection and inflammation
Inflammation is a natural, acute reaction to tissue injury that occurs within the first 24 hours. However, if this process is prolonged and infection is established this can drastically increase the wound healing process. If you begin to suspect an infection is present – mark the redness around the wound using a skin pen to track the progress.
moisture balance
Effective wound healing relies on a delicate moisture balance within the wound environment and surrounding skin. Dressings have a large impact on the moisture balance and should be selected for the moisture on the wound bed.
wound edge
This crucial component indicates the progress of the wound over time. A healthy wound edge suggests a positive potential for wound healing. An unhealthy wound edge however may require further investigation into why and how you can encourage a healthy wound edge.