Wound Care Basics in High-Risk Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia Patients

The purpose of this chapter is to provide a broad summary of the different classes of wound care products and to show their indications for use while providing a list of the products which are most commonly used in the clinical setting. Wound care is a complex specialty and a thorough understanding of the underlying etiology of a wound is essential in determining which wound care products are best to use. Wound care is a large specialty within podiatric medicine and continues to have a significant impact on health-care expenses in the United States (US). Prompt treatment with a multidisciplinary approach is necessary to reduce the burden of healthcare expenses and prevent the detrimental effects caused by chronic wounds on the quality of life of patients. The different types of wounds will be identified and common diagnostic studies ordered for each type of wound will be discussed. Wound care is a dynamic specialty which requires constant evaluation as changes occur, including revascularization procedures and infections. The presence of simultaneous disease processes that interfere with wound healing also adds to the complexity of treatment. The goal of this chapter is to allow healthcare providers in multiple different specialties to learn more about wound care to treat patients with more effectiveness and efficiency.