Wound Care Awareness Week: Types of Chronic Wounds

Jun 01, 2019

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Every year, chronic wounds affect approximately 6.7 million people in the U.S. Although there are numerous types of non-healing wounds, the following are the four most prevalent - each with different appearances, symptoms and causes: infectious wounds, vascular wounds, radiation related wounds and surgical wounds.

Infectious

Your skin protects the inside of your body from germs that cannot be seen. These bacteria can cause infection if you have a break in the skin. You can also get an infection in your bone, a condition known as osteomyelitis. Both of these infections can be hard to treat. It may require admission to the hospital and it can even lead to an amputation or death. It is important to know the signs and symptoms of an infection. It is also important for you to do everything you can to prevent an infection. Be on the lookout for: warm or red skin, fever or chills, increased swelling around the wound, dead tissue, increased weakness and a wound that won’t heal.

Vascular

These types of wounds are a result of arterial or venous insufficiency.

Venous insufficiency occurs when valves within the veins begin to malfunction and result in blood pooling within the feet and legs. Venous hypertension, which is a result of chronic venous insufficiency, can lead to the painful, swollen (‘varicose’) veins that predispose tissue to injury and poor healing. Some of the signs of non-healing ulcers are: redness and swelling that won’t go away, pain and edema, skin with minimal to no hair, inflammation, hotness, blistering and general discoloration.

Arterial ulcers typically occur as a result of decreased oxygen supply to the legs and feet. This occurs as a result of poor circulation, and is commonly seen in such diseases as atherosclerosis diabetes, sickle cell disease and vasculitis. The lack of oxygenated blood can result in tissue damage and hypoxia which may lead to ulcer formation.

Radiation Related Wound

Half of the more than 11 million people diagnosed with cancer in the US receive radiation therapy as part of their treatment plan. Many patients who undergo radiation therapy discover a hidden complication that may not come to light until years after they’ve concluded treatment. Radiation exposure can injure small blood vessels in the skin and other organs. As a result, blood flow may be diminished to the area in question and non-healing wounds may arise. Some symptoms of radiation injury are: blood in the urine, redness or alterations in pigmentation of the skin.

Surgical

Wounds caused by surgical incisions ar****e not always chronic, however a surgical incision combined with a lack of blood supply to the area (whether from arterial insufficiency or a surgical complication) can progress to a chronic wound if left untreated. Additionally, if the surgical wound is infected it may appear red, hot and swollen.

During Wound Care Awareness Week June 3 – 7, the William Newton Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Center uses this opportunity to educate patients, caregivers and physicians about chronic wounds and advanced wound care treatment options. Join us in our mission to raise awareness of the chronic wound epidemic and the benefits of advanced wound care.

For more information or to schedule an appointment contact the wound center at William Newton Hospital at 620-222-6205.