A practical guide to wound healing

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After reading this article, the participant should be able to: 1. Understand the basic stages of wound healing. 2. Apply current techniques to achieve wound closure. 3. Manage patients with simple and complex wounds effectively. SUMMARY: While wound healing can still be divided into stages, numerous intrinsic and extrinsic factors must be considered as well if clinical success is to be reliably achieved. While a routine wound may require nothing more than a simple dressing, the more complex and challenging wounds may benefit from more advanced therapy, such as growth factor applications, specialized dressings, or adjunctive therapy. This article will attempt to provide a concise summary of the advances in the basic and clinical science of wound healing.