A practical guide to wound healing.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After reading this article, the participant should be able to: 1. Understand the basic stages of wound healing. 2. Apply current techniques to achieve wound closure. 3. Manage patients with simple and complex wounds effectively.

SUMMARY

While wound healing can still be divided into stages, numerous intrinsic and extrinsic factors must be considered as well if clinical success is to be reliably achieved. While a routine wound may require nothing more than a simple dressing, the more complex and challenging wounds may benefit from more advanced therapy, such as growth factor applications, specialized dressings, or adjunctive therapy. This article will attempt to provide a concise summary of the advances in the basic and clinical science of wound healing.