Diagnosis and treatment of chronic wounds: current standards of Germany's Initiative for Chronic Wounds e. V.

The diagnosis and treatment of patients with chronic wounds is an enormous challenge in various disciplines of medicine. These very complex processes usually involve several experts of different medical specialties with varying educational backgrounds. A necessary basis for consistent communication and documentation is the use of unambiguous nomenclature. Therefore, the board of the German wound association, Initiative for Chronic Wounds (ICW) e.V., has started to define various terms and procedures. An easy to remember algorithm, in the form of the ABCDE rule, has been developed for the structured diagnosis of chronic wounds. The successful therapy of chronic wounds is then based on the causal treatment of the underlying, pathophysiological relevant diseases. M.O.I.S.T. a concept which helps health professionals in the systematic approach to the local treatment of patients with chronic wounds, in conforming to the most up-to-date scientific knowledge. By using consistent definitions and standards in wound care, it is possible to optimise current diagnostic and treatment strategies as well as to make them more easily understandable.