Conquer chronic wounds with wound bed preparation.

Abstract

In Brief Acute wound healing follows an orderly sequence of biologic events requiring little intervention from the primary care provider. Chronic wounds fail to follow this progression and require wound bed preparation for healing. To manage chronic wounds, clinicians must understand and apply the biology of chronic wound healing. This article provides an evidence-based approach to guide clinicians in prescribing interventions to minimize, eliminate, or balance factors known to impair wound healing. Chronic wounds are an important health care problem. As more Americans are diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, the incidence of diabetic foot ulcers and nontraumatic lower-limb amputations will undoubtedly increase. The financial and emotional costs of chronic wounds are staggering.