[Guideline 'Wound Care': recommendations for 5 challenging areas]

The interdisciplinary evidence-based guideline 'Wound Care' covers the treatment and management of acute wounds in adults and children and by all wound care disciplines. This guideline answers 5 basic questions with 38 recommendations covering wound cleansing, pain relief, instructing the patient, various dressings and the organisational aspects of wound care. The guideline recommendations include not to cleanse wounds that are primarily closed, to cleanse acute open wounds with clean tap water, to use the WHO pain ladder as the basis for the choice of analgesics for continuous wound pain, to administer lidocaine or prilocaine for localized pain relief during manipulation, not to cover primarily closed wounds with dressings, to use simple dressings for open wounds and to give the patient clear instructions. The guideline also advises about wound registration, documentation and hand-over of wound care, and recommends making clear agreements about referrals and responsibilities.