Chronic Wound
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A chronic wound is an area of skin breakdown that has not shown signs of improvement in 4 weeks or fails to heal in 8 weeks. Factors such as diabetes, poor circulation, pressure, nutritional deficits or smoking all affect the normal healing process of wounds. When a wound fails to heal it forms a false covering called "fibrin". This "fibrin" stops all of the body's natural attempts to heal the wound and can trap infection in the wound. Trying to heal a wound with "fibrin" is like trying to grow grass under a plastic covering. This "fibrin" must be removed so new skin cells can grow and heal the wound.
At the St. Petersburg General Hospital Wound Care Center® part of our wound care protocol is to remove this false covering that is tricking the body into thinking it is healed. We do this by a process we call "debridement". This is the removal of "fibrin" with an instrument called a curette. Debridement starts the body's healing process all over again by making the body think it has a brand new wound.
Depending on the reason the wound has become chronic, debridement may need to be done a weekly basis until the new cell growth known as epithelialization has occurred.
Debridement is just part of wound care protocol at the Wound Care Center®. You may need antibiotics for infection or special dressings to promote healing. The Wound Care Center® doctor and nurses will explain your treatment plan and will be sure that the treatment prescribed is the best for you and your wound.