Chronic Wound Healing: A Review of Current Management and Treatments.

George Han,Roger Ceilley

doi:10.1007/s12325-017-0478-y

George Han, Roger Ceilley

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12325-017-0478-y

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Abstract

Wound healing is a complex, highly regulated process that is critical in maintaining the barrier function of skin. With numerous disease processes, the cascade of events involved in wound healing can be affected, resulting in chronic, non-healing wounds that subject the patient to significant discomfort and distress while draining the medical system of an enormous amount of resources. The healing of a superficial wound requires many factors to work in concert, and wound dressings and treatments have evolved considerably to address possible barriers to wound healing, ranging from infection to hypoxia. Even optimally, wound tissue never reaches its pre-injured strength and multiple aberrant healing states can result in chronic non-healing wounds. This article will review wound healing physiology and discuss current approaches for treating a wound.

Highlights

The process of cutaneous wound healing is incredibly complex, dependent on an intricate interplay between a number of highly regulated factors working in concert to restore injured skin towards repaired barrier function
When wound healing does not progress normally, a chronic wound may result and this is at significant burden to both the patient and the medical system
It has been estimated that a single diabetic ulcer carries a cost of nearly US$50,000 [1] and chronic wounds as a whole cost the medical system over US$25 billion per year, with the number of patients affected growing yearly from 6.5 million, given the increasing prevalence of diabetes and other chronic diseases that may affect wound healing [2]

Summary

Introduction

The process of cutaneous wound healing is incredibly complex, dependent on an intricate interplay between a number of highly regulated factors working in concert to restore injured skin towards repaired barrier function. When wound healing does not progress normally, a chronic wound may result and this is at significant burden to both the patient and the medical system.

Results

Conclusion