Viewing: Core Wound Care

This article discusses the management of chronic wounds. This topic is naturally diverse and far-reaching. Wound care in general and in terms of specific etiologies is considered.

Frequency: Pressure ulcers occur in approximately 9% of hospitalized patients, usually during the first 2 weeks of hospitalization, and in approximately one fourth of nursing home residents. The yearly risk of pressure ulceration in patients with neurological impairment is 5-8%, with a lifetime risk of approximately 85% and a mortality rate of 8%. The treatment of pressure ulcers in the United States is estimated to cost more than $1 billion annually. The presence of a pressure ulcer increases a nurse's workload by 50% for the patient and adds approximately $20,000 to the hospital bill.

The incidence of venous ulcers in the United States is approximately 600,000 cases annually. The recurrence rate is up to 90%.

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, an estimated 18 million Americans (6.3% of the population) are known to have diabetes, and millions more are considered to be at risk. Of those at risk, diabetes is undiagnosed in 5.2 million. Diabetic foot lesions are responsible for more hospitalizations than any other complication of diabetes. Among patients with diabetes, 15% will develop a foot ulcer, and 12-24% of those with a foot ulcer will require amputation. Indeed, diabetes is the leading cause of no traumatic lower-extremity amputations in the United States, accounting for 60% of these amputations.