This concept paper discusses impaired wound healing. Impaired wound healing is an issue that can easily be overlooked or seen as not very important, for many reasons. However, it can become a very big problem if not taken care of correctly. The wound needs to follow the three complex phases to wound healing, in a specific way for the wound to heal properly. If for some reason the wound does not follow one of the phases properly, it will be delayed in the healing process. This can not only cause problems in physical health, but mental and overall health as well. We can see the process of impaired wound healing and how it can affect other aspects of life, when Levine’s Conservation Model is later discussed. The definition of wound healing, the pathophysiology to wound healing and nursing theory will be discussed within the paper.
Often when someone is wounded severe enough, they will bring themselves into a clinic or hospital and the wound will be assessed and hopefully healed properly. Most patients don’t arrive somewhere to seek healthcare and expect for more issues to arise during their time at the facility, however this can easily occur. Wounds can be formed from right inside of a clinic or hospital and go unnoticed or not dealt with properly; this is where the issue lies. Just because the shoulder surgery is over with, doesn’t mean the patient is clear and everything is good to go once it is done. Wound healing is a complex, meticulous part of the road to becoming healthy and there are many factors that can alter and prolong the process. Impaired wound healing is something that many may not see as a big concern, but can cause serious complications if not dealt with properly. Definition Healing is the repair to the normal physical condition of inflammation or a wound in skin lesions (Taber’s Medical Dictionary).There are three separate phases to wound healing which are the inflammatory phase, the proliferative phase, and the maturation phase (Harvey, 2005). They are all equally complex and important which means if one phase is suppressed for any reason, it will affect not only the other phases, but the wound healing process as a whole, which may lead to prolonged healing or an absence of healing all together. Acute wounds are wounds that follow the three phases of healing in an organized way which leads to healthy tissue repair. …show more content…
There a clear start and end point to each phase of the process. (Rice, 2013). This is what is hoped for in patients. Chronic wounds occur when any of the three phases are altered. This can lead to a failure in the healing of wounds and this can be seen in a prolonged inflammatory phase, if infections are continuous, if biofilms are formed that are resistant to drugs or if the cells of the epidermis and dermis do not respond to stimuli (Rice, 2013). These types of wounds are seen when the impaired wound last for over three months and it is possible that it will last for years (Cukjati, 2001). The phase that chronic wounds often get stuck in is the inflammation phase (Shomimi, 2013). This can not only affect the physical health of the patient but can lead to an increase lack of physical activity, harmed rehabilitation, and social isolation (Cukjati, 2001). “Wound healing in orthopaedic care is affected by the causes of the wound as well as concomitant therapies used to repair musculoskeletal structures,” (Harvey, 2005). Wound healing in a orthopaedic patient can be different and more complicated than other healings because there may be a fracture, fixation hardware or a total joint prosthesis (Harvey, 2005). With these added factors, it may not only make it more difficult to tend to the wound, but also make it a higher risk for microorganism invasion. According to Pearson’s Nursing Diagnosis Handbook, wound healing is defined in two separate definitions. The first one being primary intention wound healing, which is “The extent of regeneration of cells and tissue following intentional closure.” The second definition is for secondary intention wound healing, which is “ The extent of regeneration of cells and tissue in an open wound,” (Wilkinson, 2016). They are almost worded exactly the same, and the process of healing is
Often when someone is wounded severe enough, they will bring themselves into a clinic or hospital and the wound will be assessed and hopefully healed properly. Most patients don’t arrive somewhere to seek healthcare and expect for more issues to arise during their time at the facility, however this can easily occur. Wounds can be formed from right inside of a clinic or hospital and go unnoticed or not dealt with properly; this is where the issue lies. Just because the shoulder surgery is over with, doesn’t mean the patient is clear and everything is good to go once it is done. Wound healing is a complex, meticulous part of the road to becoming healthy and there are many factors that can alter and prolong the process. Impaired wound healing is something that many may not see as a big concern, but can cause serious complications if not dealt with properly. Definition Healing is the repair to the normal physical condition of inflammation or a wound in skin lesions (Taber’s Medical Dictionary).There are three separate phases to wound healing which are the inflammatory phase, the proliferative phase, and the maturation phase (Harvey, 2005). They are all equally complex and important which means if one phase is suppressed for any reason, it will affect not only the other phases, but the wound healing process as a whole, which may lead to prolonged healing or an absence of healing all together. Acute wounds are wounds that follow the three phases of healing in an organized way which leads to healthy tissue repair. …show more content…
There a clear start and end point to each phase of the process. (Rice, 2013). This is what is hoped for in patients. Chronic wounds occur when any of the three phases are altered. This can lead to a failure in the healing of wounds and this can be seen in a prolonged inflammatory phase, if infections are continuous, if biofilms are formed that are resistant to drugs or if the cells of the epidermis and dermis do not respond to stimuli (Rice, 2013). These types of wounds are seen when the impaired wound last for over three months and it is possible that it will last for years (Cukjati, 2001). The phase that chronic wounds often get stuck in is the inflammation phase (Shomimi, 2013). This can not only affect the physical health of the patient but can lead to an increase lack of physical activity, harmed rehabilitation, and social isolation (Cukjati, 2001). “Wound healing in orthopaedic care is affected by the causes of the wound as well as concomitant therapies used to repair musculoskeletal structures,” (Harvey, 2005). Wound healing in a orthopaedic patient can be different and more complicated than other healings because there may be a fracture, fixation hardware or a total joint prosthesis (Harvey, 2005). With these added factors, it may not only make it more difficult to tend to the wound, but also make it a higher risk for microorganism invasion. According to Pearson’s Nursing Diagnosis Handbook, wound healing is defined in two separate definitions. The first one being primary intention wound healing, which is “The extent of regeneration of cells and tissue following intentional closure.” The second definition is for secondary intention wound healing, which is “ The extent of regeneration of cells and tissue in an open wound,” (Wilkinson, 2016). They are almost worded exactly the same, and the process of healing is