Have a Wound? Wound Care is Essential.
Center staff urge patients with wounds to seek specialized wound care for treatment.
A chronic wound is a wound that is slow or difficult to heal. According to Medicare data, chronic wounds affect an estimated 10.5 million Americans, and the number continues to climb.1 Specialized wound care, though, not only speeds healing but also helps prevent infection and limb loss. In fact, one study showed patients who regularly attend scheduled wound care visits have a 25% lower 30-day readmission rate.2 Findings like these reinforce what we already know—wound care is essential to avoid long-term complications like severe infections and amputations.
“Chronic wounds can have serious health consequences and adversely affect quality of life,” explains Sally Farquhar, APRN, KCHS Wound Care Clinic Director. “However, a specialized outpatient wound center can provide specialized dressings and other advanced treatments that are key to properly treating the wound yet difficult to provide in an office setting.”
The Wound Care Clinic at KCHS provides a comprehensive approach to treating patients with non-healing wounds. The team features clinicians with advanced training in wound care.
KCHS Wound Care Clinic recommends that patients call for an appointment if they are experiencing any of the following:
- Diabetic foot ulcers
- Venous ulcers
- Pressure injuries/ulcers
- Traumatic wounds
- Arterial/ischemic ulcers
- Compromised skin grafts and flaps
- Any wound that is not healing or is of concern, such as wounds, associated with radiation, osteomyelitis or crush injuries
The best way to care for wounds is to prevent the formation of wounds in the first place. Check your feet daily, keep them clean and dry, wear socks and shoes at all times and exercise. However, if a wound develops, seek medical attention immediately to develop a plan of care.
Attending regular wound care appointments at a specialized outpatient wound center is key to healing your wound. This is because some chronic wounds require specialized dressings that are difficult to provide in a private office setting. In addition, depending on their location and type, other chronic wounds may require advanced treatments, like debridement (removal of dead or infected tissue) or cellular, acellular or matrix-like products (CAMPs) (skin substitutes), to properly treat the wound.
If you have a wound, wound care is essential. Let the KCHS Wound Clinic team help you heal. For more information about wound care or to schedule an appointment, call 308.832.6535 or kenda.ekdahl@restorixhealth.com. No referral is required. Find more information at https://kchs.org/wound-care/
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1https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37756368/
2https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8356413/