Types of wound
By Mark Collier, Lead Nurse Consultant – Tissue Viability, United Lincolnshire Hospitals
Wounds may be classified as either being acute or chronic in nature.
Acute wounds may be defined as, ‘those healing as anticipated’ and chronic wounds as, ‘Wounds that are failing to heal as anticipated or that have been stuck in any one phase of wound healing for a period of six weeks or more’.
Some examples of chronic and acute wounds are given below:
Leg and Foot UlcersUlcers are breaks in the layers of the skin that are failing to heal. Sometimes they don't heal after six weeks and are described as chronic ulcers. People with diabetes - especially if having regular insulin injections - are at special risk of developing foot ulcers, and therefore meticulous foot care is an important part of diabetes management in general. Poor blood circulation in the legs is also a common cause of ulcers – which again is why insulin dependant diabetic patients are particularly at risk as their circulation is often compromised by the disease process. The resultant ulcers are known as either arterial or venous leg ulcers - a specific diagnosis will be given to you by a qualified healthcare professional. Find out more about diabetic foot ulcers in our new section. Leg ulcers may also be noted as complications of other medical conditions such as accidental injuries, vascular disease (heart attacks, strokes etc), infection and tumours. Find out how leg and foot ulcers are treated. |
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