Book review

Abstract

WOUND HEALING & SKIN INTEGRITY: PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE Editor: M. Flanagan Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell Location: Oxford Pages: 312 Price: £32.99 Wiley-Blackwell has recently published a book entitled Wound Healing & Skin Integrity: Principles and Practice, edited by Madeleine Flanagan. This text provides three distinct sections: (1) Principles of Best Practice; (2) Challenging Wounds and (3) Improving Skin Integrity Services. The first section provides a good grounding in the importance of evidence and clinical decision making through skin, structure, function, integrity and related complications including the principles of wound management. The second section presents a more aetiological approach to different wound types, their complications and management. The more common wound types are covered but a focus on unusual and challenging wounds provides a valuable resource to those in the front lines dealing with wounds on a daily basis. This section also covers lymphoedema and also skin health and dermatological aspects. A broadening of the normal aetiological coverage provides a more up-to-date focus on skin health and skin integrity. The third section provides insight into evolving practice, cost reduction strategies and the evolution to date for our therapeutic armoury and where it might develop in the future. Wound Healing & Skin Integrity provides a truly international perspective as authors come from around the globe. This text provides an up to date resource that provides all necessary background to those who see patients with both acute and chronic wounds. It also provides a valuable resource to those involved in the maintenance of skin integrity. The global wound care community is a tight-knit group of dedicated and enthusiastic health professionals who are keen to share their knowledge and experience to improve the life of patients with compromised skin integrity. I am pleased to observe that this community is growing year on year as practitioners, researchers and the healthcare industry gain knowledge and push the boundaries about what is possible to improve the lives of patients with non healing wounds.