The Patient
Unit 7: Wound Healing & Management
As veterinarians we are required to manage two basic types of wounds:
- Surgical wounds
- Traumatic wounds
Infected surgical wound
It is our goal in the treatment and management of these wounds to achieve a healed wound with minimal scar and to preserve function of the injured area whilst preventing infection.
Traumatic injuries are frequently complex, with varying degrees of trauma, affecting various tissue types, and are usually complicated by varying degrees of contamination, foreign body penetration or infection. If treatment of these wounds is not optimal, healing may be delayed, and the structure and function of injured tissues may be compromised.
Many other factors have been identified which may influence the healing process within a wound. These include factors such as the types of tissues injured, the disease status of the patient and the influence of foreign materials which may enter, or be deliberately implanted into the wound, such as orthopaedic implants.
A review of wound healing, and the factors which may influence it is necessary to provide the basis for sound decision making in wound management to obtain the best results.
Topics
- The Healing Process
- Wound Types
- Factors affecting Wound Healing
- Wound Management in Various Tissues
- Wound Healing in Different Species