Proactive and Early Aggressive Wound Management: A Shift in Strategy Developed by a Consensus Panel Examining the...

Normal wound healing is accomplished through a series of well-coordinated, progressive events with overlapping phases. Chronic wounds are described as not progressing to healing or not being responsive to management in a timely manner. A consensus panel of multidisciplinary wound care professionals was assembled to (1) educate wound care practitioners by identifying key principles of the basic science of chronic wound pathophysiology, highlighting the impact of metalloproteinases and biofilms, as well as the role of the extracellular matrix; and (2) equip practitioners with a systematic strategy for the prevention and healing of acute injuries and chronic wounds based upon scientific evidence and the panel members' expertise. An algorithm is presented that represents a shift in strategy to proactive and early aggressive wound management. With proactive management, adjunct therapies are applied preemptively to acute injuries to reduce wound duration and risk of chronicity. For existing chronic wounds, early aggressive wound management is employed to break the pathophysiology cycle and drive wounds toward healing. Reducing bioburden through debridement and bioburden management and using collagen dressings to balance protease activity prior to the use of advanced modalities may enhance their effectiveness. This early aggressive wound management strategy is recommended for patients at high risk for chronic wound development at a minimum. In their own practices, the panel members apply this systematic strategy for all patients presenting with acute injuries or chronic wounds.