Inflammation in Chronic Wounds

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 17; no. 12; p. 2085
• Main Authors: Zhao, Ruilong, Liang, Helena, Clarke, Elizabeth, Jackson, Christopher, Xue, Meilang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 11.12.2016; MDPI
• Subjects: ageing; Aging; arterial ulcer; bacterial colonisation; Chronic Disease; chronic wound; diabetic ulcer; Humans; Hypoxia; Inflammation; Inflammation - complications; Inflammation - pathology; ischaemia-reperfusion; pressure ulcer; Pressure ulcers; Review; Skin - pathology; venous ulcer; Wound Healing; Wounds and Injuries - complications; Wounds and Injuries - pathology; Wounds and Injuries - physiopathology; Wounds and Injuries - therapy; hypoxia; ageing; diabetic ulcer; inflammation; chronic wound; ischaemia-reperfusion; venous ulcer; arterial ulcer; bacterial colonisation; pressure ulcer
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms17122085

Non-healing chronic wounds present a major biological, psychological, social, and financial burden on both individual patients and the broader health system. Pathologically extensive inflammation plays a major role in the disruption of the normal healing cascade. The causes of chronic wounds (venous, arterial, pressure, and diabetic ulcers) can be examined through a juxtaposition of normal healing and the rogue inflammatory response created by the common components within chronic wounds (ageing, hypoxia, ischaemia-reperfusion injury, and bacterial colonisation). Wound bed care through debridement, dressings, and antibiotics currently form the basic mode of treatment. Despite recent setbacks, pharmaceutical adjuncts form an interesting area of research.