Wound Healing Society 2023 update on guidelines for arterial ulcers

Area of Science:

• Vascular Surgery
• Wound Healing
• Evidence-Based Medicine

Background:

• The Wound Healing Society's guidelines for arterial insufficiency ulcers were last updated in 2014.
• These guidelines covered diagnosis, surgery, infection control, wound bed preparation, dressings, adjuvant therapy, and long-term maintenance.
• Significant new literature has emerged in arterial ulcer management over the past nine years.

Purpose of the Study:

• To update the 2014 Wound Healing Society guidelines for arterial insufficiency ulcers.
• To evaluate recent scientific literature and clinical findings relevant to arterial ulcer treatment.
• To establish an evidence base for revised clinical recommendations.

Main Methods:

• Convening an advisory panel of multidisciplinary experts (vascular surgeons, internists, plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists, emergency physicians, dermatologists).
• Systematic review and evaluation of newly published literature since the 2014 guidelines.
• Assessing the evidence levels for new findings across all guideline categories.

Main Results:

• New literature has been published across all seven categories of arterial ulcer management.
• An expert panel has been convened to synthesize this new evidence.
• The process aims to identify findings that will form the basis of updated guidelines.

Conclusions:

• An updated version of the Wound Healing Society guidelines is necessary due to recent advancements.
• The evaluation of new literature by an expert panel is crucial for revising treatment protocols.
• This work will lead to improved, evidence-based management strategies for arterial insufficiency ulcers.