Signs and Complications of a Chronic Wound
Chronic wounds are the result of cuts, sores, burns, or other injuries that have not healed properly within a period of about 30 days. Typically, wounds heal using the body’s natural responses to injury that repair the damaged tissue. However, certain medical conditions like poor circulation can prevent this response system from acting effectively, leaving the wound unimproved in spite of conventional treatment.
Identifying a chronic wound
Chronic wound care may be recommended by a physician when a wound has not responded to treatment as it should, or patients might seek this type of care independently after a period of one month when a wound has not healed. People do heal at different rates, but there should be some positive change to a condition after 30 days of conventional care. If you have conditions such as poorly functioning veins, nutritional deficiencies, diabetes, immobility, or poor circulation, you are more likely to suffer a chronic problem from a typical wound. Without proper specialized care, chronic wounds can lead to complications like those listed below.
- Infection: When an open wound exists in the skin, bacteria are more likely to penetrate the body and cause infection. Once an infection develops, it can be compromising to the whole body because the immune system is already in a weakened state from the formation of the chronic wound.
- Amputation: Lower limb amputations are one of the most common complications for diabetic patients with chronic wounds, as patients with diabetes often have circulatory disorders.
To better understand what can be done to treat chronic wounds and prevent serious complications, schedule a consultation with the Wound Care Team at Good Samaritan Hospital. We offer comprehensive wound care in San Jose, and we work to personalize treatment specifically to the needs of each patient. Contact us for more information by visiting our website or calling (888) 724-2362.
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