What's new in wound management

Veterinary wound management has developed largely from human reconstruction and plastic surgery principles. The role of wound dressings being further extrapolated from human experience.

In the last two decades a range of technologies have developed for human use which have begun to show promise in the veterinary patient. Some of these may offer solutions for challenging cases and potential improvements in outcomes.

It is true that many wounds heal despite the management adopted. This may explain the persistence of many old fashioned and out dated products found on shelves in many clinics and cupboards in veterinary practice. Modern methods focus on preservation of healthy tissue while maintaining cellular function. The most advanced methods to date are based on removing the barriers of optimal healing while maintaining a moist wound environment for cellular proliferation (Enoch and Harding, 2003).

In terms of decision making when faced with wounds the following three statements should be true: