[Importance of modern treatment procedures for infected and colonized wounds in dermatology]

In the coming years increasing numbers of patients with chronic ulcers and tumor wounds are to be expected, both of which are typically multifaceted diseases requiring complex and increasingly long-term ambulatory therapy. Therefore, in recent years special medical emphasis has been placed on efficacious therapies with good tolerability and also suitability regarding feasibility for outpatient treatment. Some of these methods, such as cold plasma therapy, extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), water-filtered infrared therapy (wIRA), electrostimulation (ES) and low level laser therapy (LLLT) have a good chance of success when applied as an adjuvant method in the multimodal treatment concept for patients with recalcitrant wounds. All of these methods have at least indirect antimicrobial properties which can be advantageous in cases of microbial infiltration of wounds. As for all other methods for treating recalcitrant wounds, the promising application of the aforementioned methods requires great expertise in wound healing together with a broad and continuous interdisciplinary diagnostics and therapy (wound center).