| When
a wound occurs, such as following an injury or surgical procedure,
nurses can apply wound care as the healing process moves forward.
The problem is that when healing becomes stalled due to infection
or poor blood flow, the wound is often classified as non-healable.
This is not true. In nearly all cases, the reason for non-healing
is the failure to apply timely wound therapy modalities to stimulate
the wound bed and produce healing.
Several types of therapeutic
modalities have been shown in the medical literature to be highly
effective and safe when used as adjunctive therapies in treating
a range of chronic wounds and ulcers:
In a chronic wound,
the tissues typically become stalled in an unstable state. The
purpose of the treatment is to stimulated the tissues, produce
a healing response and accelerate the healing process. The specific
effects are:
- Stimulate new tissue
formation
- Increase capillary
density
- Anti-bacterial effect
- Reduced edema
- Increase in blood
flow
Therapy has been
shown to have a direct positive effect on all phases of wound
healing:
- Inflammation
- Proliferation and
granulation
- Re-epithelialization
- Remodeling
Randomized control
studies have demonstrated significantly improved healing rates,
with a 30% to 60% typical reduction in healing times. Studies
of 8-week healing response have shown increases in successful
outcomes from less than 5% in the control group to more than
50% in the group using therapeutic modalities. Adjunctive treatments
are indicated for:
- All wounds and ulcers
needing regular nursing care,
and
- Wounds that have
not shown any healing progress in 30 days,
and
- Wounds known to be
slow healing, such as with co-morbidities of diabetes mellitus,
spinal chord injury, peripheral vascular disease, neuropathy,
renal failure or congestive heart disease.
All
of our products are effective and complete when used on their
own to produce healing. However, results will be enhanced when
used together, as part of a comprehensive approach including
diet, weight-loss, off-loading and exercise.
Each
wound is different. It is important to identify the root cause
of the problem. Then use the appropriate modality as part of
a comprehensive therapy program to treat the cause of the wound,
and produce healing and wellness.
For the treatment to
be effective and optimal, wound assessment and care should to
be in accordance with Canadian best practice guidelines.
Therapeutic modalities
are cost-effective for the health care system by replacing on-going
expensive wound care and hospitalization with a shortened treatment
and recovery period.
The choice of modality
is dependent on the wound characteristics, equipment availability,
and therapist training and experience.
Eight
Treatment Modalities
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