WOUND CARE 1. Wound Care Name Institution. WOUND CARE 2

Running head: WOUND CARE 1
Wound Care
Name
Institution

WOUND CARE 2
A wound can be attributed to injuries due to abrasion on the skin, a burn, cut or a puncture (Isci
and Ritter, 2018). Therefore, wound care entails all the measures and holistic approach taken to
manage a wound from the timer of occurrence to the time the inner skin regenerates and
completely covers the entire injured surface. The duration taken by a wound depends on how
severe the injury was and the size of the wound created .this can as well depend on the efficacy
of the treatment used. Research statistics from reputable sources indicate that a good number of
patients in local healthcare set-up have wounds varied nature thus the clinical practitioners have
the responsibility of educating the local population about wound care at home using the available
materials. Therefore, this thesis seeks to analyze how patients and caregivers may adopt dressing
and wound care to the home environment. For a wound to heal faster, it requires a proper amount
of moisture to keep the tissues soft and fresh to facilitate faster tissue regeneration (Levi et al.
(2016).
Based on the occurrence and severity of the wound, it can be classified as acute, chronic,
open or closed. Acute wounds refers to the shallow cuts, burns and scratches that can heal
within few days of wound care while chronic wounds may take a couple of weeks to months to
completely recover. However, with large and deep wounds, the healing time varies and can be
subject to many factors. Infection, diabetes, obesity that mostly becomes an issue after surgery,
poor blood circulation, excessive alcohol intake, poor diet, stress, smoking, age and some
medications such as non-steroid anti-inflammatory, corticosteroid and chemotherapy drugs can
compromise the rate of wound healing thereby posing another risk of secondary infections.
(Bing-Jonsson et al., 2016). Wounds always proceeds in four stages before complete healing. It
starts with the homeostasis’ stage, defensive, proliferative and finally maturation stage when the
newly developed skin becomes strong and resilient. (Chanda, Ruchti and Unnikrishnan, 2018)

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There are several proven ways of making wounds heal faster and naturally within home
environments. The first remedy is to choose an appropriate diet that is rich in vitamin (K),
protein and fatty acids that are essential in the healing process of the wound. Examples of foods
that accelerate wound healing include but not limited to; greens (kales, broccoli, spinach), lean
protein (fish and beef) and grains such as walnuts, flax seeds, and china seeds. Secondly, one
should avoid intake of food and substances that slows the rate of wound healing such as alcohol,
hydrogenated oils, sugar and processed grains and foods. Thirdly, quicker wound healing can be
achieved through the application of home-made bone broth that is a richer source of collagen in
wound dressing. This can cure chronic wounds such as pressure ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers
(Chantre, Hoerstrup and Parker, 2019). The fourth remedy is the use of raw honey that is
known for its drying and antiseptic effect on the wound thereby reducing the chances of
secondary infection on the wound. It is also known for having very low cytotoxic damage on the
wound due to the lower levels of Hydrogen peroxide generated (Isci and Ritter, 2018).
Honey can also be used in a mixture with other substances such as ghee to produce a
desired outcome. For treatment of acute wounds such as burns, honey can be used and the
dressings changed in every 48 hours (Levi et al., 2016). Alternatively, the use of essential oils
such as tea tree and rosemary are recommended due to their broad spectrum antibacterial and
anti-fungi property. The essential oils can be applied when diluted with pure carrier oils in a
blend of equal ratio (Rogers, 2015).
The sixth remedy lies in the consumption of Zinc rich diet. Zinc is an important mineral
and a co-factor that actively plays a greater role in the wound healing process and also promotes
the immune functions as highlighted in a 2018 scientific article in the journal Nutrients. Last but
not least is the consumption of vitamin C rich foods as it helps in the synthesis of useful

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chemicals such as collagen that really plays an incredible role in wound healing process. Besides
these seven important ways, some patients and their caretakers use Vaseline and coconut oil as
an alternative for treating acute wounds. (Chantre, Hoerstrup and Parker, 2019)
Treatment of chronic wounds can at times be more costly and challenging in terms of
time and resources thus prompting the research on the ways of maintaining a healthy
environment for faster wound healing. The theory of moist wound has been widely used in
determining the properties of dressing materials. Alginate dressings Calcium are primary
dressings placed on the surface of the wound for moderate to heavy drainage. The dressing is
always changed when the drainage is visually coming through the secondary dressing.
Antimicrobial dressings can be alternatively used on wounds with secondary infections or at a
risk of infection. Iodine based antimicrobial dressings can also be used (Levi et al., 2016).
Normal saline prepared by using a half teaspoonful no iodated salt in a cupful of boiled or
distilled water can be used to irrigate the wound. Equipments such as tongs can be sterilized by
heat method but for containers, dish wash can be used. (Chanda, Ruchti and Unnikrishnan, 2018)
In conclusion, treatment of wounds constitutes a greater burden of healthcare to patients
and their caretakers in terms of time and money spend during periodic visit to health facilities
for wound dressing and management thus there is need to revert to natural and improvised ways
of wound care to save on the cost of medical care. With alternative ways of wound management
at a cheaper cost with locally available materials, there can be a general decrease in long queues
in the hospitals for people seeking wound care with most of them having acute cases that can be
successfully managed at home. In this paper, I have explored the most effective ways of natural
wound care in home environment both by dietary and dressing interventions that not only

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improves wound healing process but also improves the overall health of the patients at home
environments. In addition, I have also highlighted the use of normal saline and how it can be
made in home environment as well as the cheapest and effective methods of sterilization at home
to enhance proper wound care.
References

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Bing-Jonsson, P. C., Hofoss, D., Kirkevold, M., Bjørk, I. T., & Foss, C. (2016). Sufficient
competence in community elderly care? Results from a competence measurement of
nursing staff. BMC nursing, 15(1), 5.
Carville, K. (2018). Pressure Injury Prevention and Management in Palliative Care. Textbook of
Palliative Care, 1-14.
Chanda, A., Ruchti, T., & Unnikrishnan, V. (2018). Computational modeling of wound suture: A
review. IEEE reviews in biomedical engineering, 11, 165-176.
Chantre, C. O., Hoerstrup, S. P., & Parker, K. K. (2019). Engineering Biomimetic and Instructive
Materials for Wound Healing and Regeneration. Current Opinion in Biomedical
Engineering.
Isci, E. T., & Ritter, E. (2018). On the complexity of shark bite wounds: From associated
bacteria to trauma management and wound repair. Journal of Trauma and Acute Care
Surgery, 85(2), 398-405.
Levi, K., Ichiryu, K., Kefel, P., Keller, J., Grice, J., Belson, O., ... & Safa, B. (2016). Mechanics
of wound closure: emerging tape-based wound closure technology vs. traditional
methods. Cureus, 8(10).
Rogers, J. A. (2015). Electronics for the human body. Jama, 313(6), 561-562.