Stalled wounds are generally considered those that do not heal at least 15% in two weeks. For example:
Pressure ulcers that do not progress at least 39% in two weeks may not heal in a timely fashion
Venous leg ulcers that do not heal at least 30% in two weeks will probably not heal in six months
Diabetic ulcers that do not heal 30% in two weeks have only a 9% chance of healing in three months
Prepare the wound bed and promote moist wound healing.
Proper wound bed preparation is essential to promoting the wound healing process. Utilizing the Time
Autolytic debridement
uses the body’s own enzymes
and moisture to re-hydrate, soften
and finally liquefy eschar
and slough. During autolysis, enzymes present in the wound
have the effect of liquefying non-viable tissue. Clinicians foster
autolytic debridement by utilizing moist wound dressings. By
maintaining a moist wound environment, the body is able to
use its own processes to eliminate necrotic tissue. Autolytic
debridement can be achieved with the use of occlusive or
semi-occlusive dressings which maintain wound fluid in contact
with the necrotic tissue. It is virtually painless for the patient and
safe, yet is generally slower than other forms of debridement.
It can be used on its own, after surgical debridement, or in
conjunction with enzymatic or mechanical debridement.
Mechanical debridement
is a process in which force is
exerted on the necrotic tissue to rip, pull, push or abrade away
the devitalized tissue from the healthy tissue. Mechanical
debridement is often non-selective and may remove or cause
damage to healthy tissue as well as necrotic tissue. Examples
of mechanical debridement include wet-to-dry dressings, wound
irrigation, pulsitile lavage, whirlpool, contact ultrasound and
scrubbing the surface with gauze. Wet-to-dry dressings do not
provide a moist wound healing environment and are not optimal
for wound care once the wound is free of necrotic tissue.
Sharp debridement
is the removal of devitalized tissue by
a skilled clinician, typically using a scalpel, scissors, curette
or other sharp instrument. Clinicians use conservative sharp
debridement to remove loosely adherent nonviable tissue at
the bedside or in a clinical setting. Surgical debridement is
done by a physician usually in the operating room, under
anesthesia, with instruments and/or a laser when the tissue
removal needs are extensive, or when the patient has a
serious infection associated with the wound. Although
sharp debridement is fast, it is non-selective and can be
very painful to the patient.
Enzymatic debridement,
or chemical debridement,
makes use of certain enzymes and other compounds to
dissolve necrotic tissue. It requires a prolonged period
of enzyme activity, and a moist wound environment with
appropriate pH and temperature. Enzymes are inactivated
by metals in some wound care products (silver, zinc).
18
The enzyme used in the U.S., collagenase, digests collagen
in necrotic tissue by dissolving the collagen “anchors” that
secure the avascular tissue to the wound bed. Collagenase
has been shown to be most active within a pH range of 6
to 8.
19, 20
Biologic debridement
uses maggots grown from the
sterilized eggs of Lucilia sericata. The larvae are placed
in the wound bed, where it is theorized that they secrete
proteolytic enzymes that break down necrotic tissue, which
they then ingest. This is considered an option when the
patient is not a surgical candidate and has not responded
to other methods of debridement.
13
Types of Debridement
2,4,5
The standard methods of debridement are autolytic, mechanical, enzymatic, sharp and biologic. The method
of debridement used, often depends on the amount of necrotic tissue present in the wound bed, the extent of
the wound, and the patient’s medical history and overall condition. Clinicians sometimes use more than one
debridement method in conjunction in order to achieve the most successful removal of necrotic tissue.
Continual vs. intermittent debridement
It has been found that rates of healing increase when wounds are debrided more frequently.
4
With the increased
knowledge of biofilms and their ability to repopulate, as well as the damaging effects of elevated proteases (MMP’s)
of the chronic wound, more focus has been placed on continual debridement vs. single or intermittent debridement.
Continual debridement provides a consistent action of removing necrotic tissue from the wound bed over a period of time,
unlike single or intermittent methods. The ability to provide continual and consistent removal of necrotic tissue helps to
create an optimal environment for healing and allows for less disruption to the wound bed.
The Role of
MEDIHONEY
®
The overall goal for wound bed preparation is to remove factors that delay healing.
21
These factors in a
stalled or chronic wound include necrotic tissue and altered levels and composition of wound exudates.
MEDIHONEY
®
dressings, containing Active Leptospermum Honey (ALH), address factors that cause
delayed healing in chronic wounds. As demonstrated in multiple RCTs and 100s of clinical papers,
ALH helps to jump start wounds and promote autolytic debridement due to its multiple mechanisms of
action. MEDIHONEY
®
’s osmotic effect addresses multiple aspects of debridement quickly for optimal
patient care. The high sugar content of MEDIHONEY
®
aids in the increased flow of fluid to support the
continual cleansing of the wound environment, helping to remove devitalized or necrotic tissue through
an osmotic effect.
21, 22
Additionally, the low pH of MEDIHONEY
®
helps to lower the pH levels within
the wound environment,
9,27
which has been shown to have wound healing benefits.
28
5
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