Wound care
The invisible enemy
Where there’s a chronic wound, there’s probably a biofi lm. Where there’s wound care, however, there isn’t necessarily a strategy for addressing it. Natalie Healey talks to Karen Ousey, professor of skin integrity at the University of Huddersfi eld, about the role of biofi lms in interrupting wound healing, new diagnostic tools for detecting them, and the measures that practitioners can implement today.
iving with a chronic wound can be an incredibly isolating experience, but it’s a topic that gets little media or political attention. Wounds that fail to heal, such as diabetic foot ulcers, venous leg ulcers and pressure ulcers, create significant emotional and physical distress for patients. People often find their wounds, which are regularly associated with leaky exudate and an unpleasant smell, lead to disturbed sleep, anxiety, depression and reduced self-esteem. On the physical side of things, chronic wounds can lead to pain and mobility problems. In the worst-case scenario, a non-healing wound may even lead to amputation. Non-healing diabetic ulcers account for nearly 80% of all lower-limb amputations.
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Even that’s only half of the story; it’s not just the patient who is impacted. Research has found that chronic wounds leave patients’ families experiencing severe emotional and physical trauma too. Then there’s the intense financial burden chronic wounds create for health systems. The annual cost to the NHS of managing 2.2 million wounds is estimated to be around £5bn. And this figure is only set to grow. Chronic wounds are increasing due to rising numbers of older people and those living with obesity or type-2 diabetes. What’s more, dealing with wounds is not a simple task for healthcare professionals. Some chronic wounds don’t heal for several years. That’s not so surprising if you look at the biochemistry involved.
Practical Patient Care /
www.practical-patient-care.com
Kateryna Kon/
Shutterstock.com
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