Wound Management and Dressings
There are different treatments for acute and chronic wounds that cannot be easily approximated, have copious amounts of exudate, or which are at a greater risk of infection. The next few slides will look at the following:
- Negative pressure wound therapy
- Skin substitutes
- Hydrotherapy
- Hyperbaric oxygenation
- Wound scaffolds
- Dressings
- Drains
Debridement
Debridement can be performed surgically, mechanically, or biologically. It is the removal of dead or devitalized tissue from a wound.
🧩️ Practice Activity: Debridement Methods
Complete the activity by dragging the text block into a drop zone. Select “Check” when you feel confident in your answer(s).
(Bak, 2019)
Negative Pressure Wound Therapy
Negative pressure wound therapy is often called VAC therapy for vacuum-assisted closure. This therapy is used for wounds that are difficult to manage and might not react to traditional wound therapy. A piece of polyurethane foam is placed into the wound and sealed under a transparent airtight dressing. The VAC system works by:
- Producing a negative pressure environment which creates mechanical tension on a wound. This helps by removing fluid from the wound and reducing edema.
- The VAC causes macrodeformation and contraction of the wound.
- The VAC also causes micro-deformation and mechanical stretch perfusion.
(Bak, 2019)