Wound Care

Question 1

What is a wound?

Answer 1

• A break in the skin (epidermis).

Question 2

What is healing?

Answer 2

• A response to an injury that sets into motion a sequence of events.
• Except for bone all tissues heal with some scarring.

Question 3

What are the four phases to the healing process?

Answer 3

1. Inflammatory phase.
2. Proliferative phase.
3. Remodeling phase.
4. Epithelialization phase.

Question 4

What occurs during the inflammatory phase of the healing process?

Answer 4

• Begins with the injury itself.
• Bleeding, narrowing of blood vessels, clot formation and the release of various chemical substances to begin the healing process.

Question 5

What occurs during the proliferative phase of the healing process?

Answer 5

• A matrix or latticework of cells forms.
• New skin cells and blood vessels will form.
• Collagen acts as the framework upon which the new tissues build.

Question 6

What occurs during the remodelling phase of the healing process?

Answer 6

• Begins after 2-3 weeks.
• The collagen becomes more organized making the tissue stronger.
• Over about 6 months, the area increases in strength, eventually reaching 70% of the strength of uninjured skin.

Question 7

What occurs during the epithelialization phase of the healing process?

Answer 7

• Laying down new skin, or epithelial, cells.

- Skin forms a protective barrier between the outer environment and the body.

Question 8

What are some basic wound care principles?

Answer 8

• Wounds heal best when the edges are approximated.
• If excessive sweating in anticipated, even small wounds are better sutured.
• Wounds that cross the border of the lip, eyebrow or enter the eyelids require expert suturing to approximate edges.
• Deep wounds of the eyelid should be seen by a specialist.
• Antibiotics may be necessary to prevent infection and gargling with salt water regularly.
• Most fascial structures should be removed at 5-7 days to minimize the eventual scar.
• Watch for signs of infection.