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Hi
I’ve been caring for this malleolus injury for 6 weeks now.
On initial presentation, cellulitis present, heavily exudating. I have cleaned it well, de-sloughed and reduced in size with prontosan soaks, ag based fiber dressing and silicon based waterproof dressing to cover.
It’s slow healing and wondering if any suggestions?
Thanks 🙂
Dec 23, 2023 by Port Macquarie Wound Care Clinic,
3 replies
Elaine Horibe Song
MD, PhD, MBA
Thanks for sharing this case. It seems like the ulcer has been reducing in size, which is great. As for your question regarding other suggestions, our colleagues might have additional thoughts, but wondering what kind of assessment/workup has been done to identify the underlying causes and comorbidities that might be impeding healing. It'd be important to make sure that underlying causes of the ulcer and comorbidities that might be impeding healing have been thoroughly addressed. 

If despite treating the cause of the ulcer, addressing comorbidities affecting healing and implementing proper local wound care, the ulcer does not improve according to expected benchmarks, re-evaluation of the patient and wound should be performed before consideration of adjuvant therapies. Re-evaluation should be performed to rule out other differential diagnoses, ensure that interventions are adequately addressing the cause(s) of the ulcer, local wound care has been adequate, bio-burden and exudate are well managed, and factors impeding healing are not present or under control.

Reassessment would include a comprehensive history and physical exam, assessment of any poorly controlled systemic disease, history of autoimmune disease, inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, and myeloproliferative disorder nutrition, medications that might be impeding healing, objective assessment of adequate blood supply to heal the ulcer, venous/lymphatic status, etc. A biopsy would be helpful in assessing differential diagnosis as well. 

This topic has resources to help review those elements (also see algorithm and framework). In addition, for each condition listed in WoundReference's Wound Care Knowledge Base there is a "Treatment" topic with a Plan Reassessment section, with a specific checklist for reassessment of each condition. The Prep and Dress Tool also provides guidance on local wound care.

Hope this helps!
Dec 24, 2023
Thank you so much Elaine.
That sure does help. While I’m happy that it is reducing in size I have requested the patient for further pathology and a more comprehensive history (this was hard to gain at initial consult)
I just thought I’d put it out there to this amazing service to see if there was anything I was missing.
Thank you so much!
Dec 24, 2023
Thank you so much Elaine.
That sure does help. While I’m happy that it is reducing in size I have requested the patient for further pathology and a more comprehensive history (this was hard to gain at initial consult)
I just thought I’d put it out there to this amazing service to see if there was anything I was missing.
Thank you so much!
Dec 24, 2023
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