Wound management – the importance of control

Once the skin is damaged, microbes normally present on the skin surface gain access to the underlying tissue. An important part of effective wound healing is to optimize the wound environment. The main task is to control both the moisture balance and the microbial load. The effectiveness of the patient’s defense system, together with the quantity and virulence of microbes, influences the development of wound infections.1, 2

Increased microbial load – associated with delayed wound healing

A wound may be locally infected, with delayed wound healing as a result, even if there are no or only subtle signs of infection. It is therefore important to reduce the microbial load and treat infections before there are distinct signs that an infection has developed.