Food and wounds: nutritional factors in wound formation and healing.

Nutrition is a crucial aspect of a holistic approach to the healing of wounds, including pressure ulcers and leg ulcers. Poor nutritional status and support can delay the wound healing process or cause inadequate healing when nutritional deficiencies are not corrected. Nutritional screening is an important part of the overall clinical assessment of patients. Nurses based in hospital and the community have a key role to play in identifying and monitoring patients who may be nutritionally at risk and require nutritional support to aid the wound healing process. Patients' nutritional requirements may need to be met through the use of nutritionally complete supplements or, if oral intake is poor, with enteral or parenteral nutrition.