TIME principles of chronic wound bed preparation and treatment.

Managing chronic wounds has progressed from merely assessing the wound to understanding the underlying cellular abnormalities and associated clinical problems. The concept of wound bed preparation offers a systematic approach to removing barriers to healing such as tissue (non-viable), infection/inflammation, moisture (imbalance) and edge (non-advancing or undermining). The principles of wound bed preparation as outlined in the tissue, infection, moisture, edge (TIME) table are explained in this article, with examples and recommended treatment interventions. The TIME table is recommended for use at the bedside when assessing patients with wounds.