title: Overview: acute and chronic wounds.
abstract: Knowledge of normal wound healing and the changes associated with chronic wounds have advanced significantly. Distinct characteristics identified through basic and clinical studies are found in nonhealing wounds, including bacterial and growth factor imbalances, increased inflammatory responses, and proteolytic forces that tip the balance toward tissue degradation rather than repair. This article describes the alterations that reduce healing and that also have important implications for the management of chronic wounds and presents a focus for future developments in wound therapy.
authors.affiliation: Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Systems, University of Washington, School of Nursing, Box 357266, University of Washington, School of Nursing, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. joiewhit@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: JoAnne D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Whitney
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases / Q000378:metabolism; D012883:Skin Ulcer / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D006133:Growth Substances; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases