Dressing Surgical Wounds Most surgery can be categorised into two groups: elective (‘clean’) and emergency (this is often referred to as ‘dirty’). A surgical wound of the latter category has a higher incidence of dehiscence or complications. Dehiscence is defined as: ‘Separation of the layers of a surgical wound, it may be partial or only…
Learning About Arterial Skin Ulcers
What is an arterial skin ulcer? An arterial ulcer is a painful, deep sore or wound in the skin of the lower leg or foot. The ulcer doesn’t heal as you’d expect an ordinary sore to heal. That’s because there isn’t enough blood flowing to the area. Blood supplies oxygen and nutrients to the tissues.…
Assessing Dressing Options for Advanced Wound Care (AWC)
12 May, 2020 / Category: Advanced Wound Care Wound care products like bandages and gauze – often coupled with topicals like antibacterial ointment –are usually sufficient for treating minor injuries like scrapes and cuts. In these cases, the objective is to keep the wound clean and dry it out. However, more complex wounds require advanced…
What To Eat When You’re Trying to Heal
Food is the fuel that keeps your body running — and nutritional food is the fuel that keeps your body running well. What you eat impacts your energy levels, your immune system, your strength and even how quickly your wounds heal.AdvertisementCleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do…
Post-operative Surgical Wound Management: Wound Healing Phases and Methods, Topical
Appropriate surgical wound and incision management in the post-operative time period is imperative to prevent complications, including surgical site infection and wound dehiscence. The tenets of modern wound management are applicable to primarily closed incisions, as well as to subacute and chronic wounds. Preventing incisional infection by appropriate cleansing, skin care, and moisture management is…
The Best Antiseptic for Open Wounds First Aid
For moderately severe open wounds, the safest and most effective over-the-counter (OTC) antiseptics include iodine, biguanides, and peroxides.Antiseptics are chemical solutions applied topically to the skin or wounds to reduce the growth of harmful bacteria, viruses, or fungi.Common OTC antiseptic types include:alcohols, such as isopropyl alcoholbiguanides, such as chlorhexidineiodineperoxideshalogenated phenolsYou can typically take care of…
Essential Postoperative Care Tips for Optimal Recovery
Postoperative care begins at the end of the operation and continues in the recovery room and throughout the hospitalization and outpatient period. Critical immediate concerns are airway protection, pain control, mental status, and wound healing. Other important concerns are preventing urinary retention, constipation, deep venous thrombosis (DVT), and blood pressure variability (high or low). For…
What To Eat When You’re Trying to Heal
Food is the fuel that keeps your body running — and nutritional food is the fuel that keeps your body running well. What you eat impacts your energy levels, your immune system, your strength and even how quickly your wounds heal.AdvertisementCleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do…
Wound Care: How to Care for an Open Wound
Minor cuts, scrapes and burns are common injuries. But do you know the best way to treat those wounds at home?AdvertisementCleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. PolicyNurse practitioner Evan Minior, CNP, explains the best way to…
Post-operative wound management
Background Optimal management of post-operative wounds in the community is important to prevent potential complications such as surgi-cal-site infections and wound dehiscence from developing. As such, general practitioners, who play an important part in the sub-acute management of post-operative wounds, should appreciate the physiology of wound healing and the principles of post-operative wound care.Objective The…