Patient care
How care is organized.
The first goal is to identify why the wound exists and why it is not healing. Treatment is then built around that diagnosis rather than a fixed sequence of products.
Initial evaluation
The visit may include wound history, medical and surgical history, vascular and neurologic assessment, review of pressure or mobility factors, infection assessment and examination of tissue viability and depth.
A problem-oriented plan
Treatment can combine local wound care with off-loading, compression, vascular evaluation, infection management, debridement, advanced dressings, grafting, negative-pressure therapy, hyperbaric oxygen in selected indications or reconstructive surgery.
Coordination
Primary physicians and other specialists remain important. Complex wound care often requires vascular surgery, infectious disease, podiatry, orthopedics, rehabilitation, nutrition, home health or reconstructive surgery depending on the problem.