Wound bed preparation and oxygen balance--a new component?

Chronic wounds have traditionally been treated by conservative means. It was Winter's moist wound healing research, in 1962, that stimulated a proliferation of a moist interactive dressing technologies. Even considering this advancement in thinking, chronic wounds continue to be a problem for many clinicians. An increasing delineation of the science of healing in the past 20 years has redefined the way in which we both evaluate and treat wounds. This scientific understanding has raised wound care from the clinical problem arena to that of clinical specialty, where many now cross refer patients to specialists in this field. Wound bed preparation (WBP) has played a significant role in this change in practice. The concept has changed an 'art' of switching at random from one dressing to another, into a clinical science. WBP has come to the forefront as a major educational aid to help others develop appropriate treatment of the underlying disease causing the wound and patient requirements. The concept of WBP evolved over the recent years, becoming more and more sophisticated with time. Recent adaptations have brought together many of the current components. This article proposes yet another element of WBP, that of 'oxygen balance'.