References
Wound healing and dressings: the role of RemendTM
Abstract
Wounds are commonly encountered within veterinary practice, and in order to deal with them effectively it is essential to have a good understanding of the wound healing process, which is often complex. A large number of wound dressings are available for the management of open wounds, but very few actually contain products which are naturally occurring in the wound itself. Hyaluronan is one such molecule; it is a disaccharide polymer and is found in variable lengths, depending on its location within the body. It gives structure to the wound during the inflammatory phase of wound healing, and also acts as a space-filler in granulation tissue, in addition to encouraging fibroblast migration and collagen production. Hyaluronan has been incorporated into a wound spray, Remend™, which has been developed to enhance wound healing, and to promote rapid wound closure in a variety of animal species.
The majority of wounds encountered in practice are either surgically created, or traumatic in origin. In order to deal with these wounds effectively, it is important that veterinary nurses understand the complex nature of wound healing, and the biological chemicals that are essential to normal wound healing. When dealing with open wounds, the aim is to enhance the wound healing process, so it can occur as quickly as possible, in a way that causes as little discomfort to the patient as possible, and in a cost-efficient manner for the client.
The local wound environment is hugely important as there needs to be a balance of biochemical products, e.g. chemotactic factors, eicosanoids, free radicals, cytokines, growth factors, inflammatory cells, and enzymes (Krahwinkel and Boothe, 2006). These products are important in wound healing because they break down the less desirable structures within a wound, e.g. via autolytic debridement, and also provide chemical signals and biological components required for wound healing.
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