How is fluorescence being used to aid chronic wound care?
One of the most challenging aspects of wound care is diagnosing and facilitating healing when the wound doesn’t respond as fully as expected. Now, there are promising new treatments utilizing fluorescence that could change that. Here’s a summary.
The problem: wound complications caused by infection and other factors
Medical professionals know the process of wound healing varies for each patient, depending on the size and nature of the wound. In certain cases, however, complications that stall or slow down the healing can develop. For example, bacteria from the environment or the patient’s skin can infiltrate the wound, compromising the process. Sometimes, other conditions like diabetes or venous disease can slow healing.
Normally, as healing occurs, dead tissue accumulates around the wound. This creates the problem of hidden, hard-to-see dead spaces that can serve as breeding grounds for bacteria. In response, the standard procedure is something called debridement, which is the removal of damaged, dead or infected tissue from the wound area, which then allows healing to progress at a normal pace. If the physician or surgeon cannot accurately determine the full extent of the infected or dead tissue, however, the procedure will be incomplete, leaving bacteria in the wound.
Using fluorescence to assist in chronic wound care treatment is a new approach that is being researched.
The solution: fluorescence
Some researchers have found that examining wo...
Source: Advanced Tissue - Category: Dermatology Authors: AdvancedTissue Tags: Wound Care diabetic wound care Wound healing Wound care products Wound Infection chronic wounds wound care treatment Source Type: news
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