Quain AM, Khardori NM, et al.
Wounds : a compendium of clinical research and practice. Date of publication 2015 Dec 1;volume 27(12):327-35.
1. Wounds. 2015 Dec;27(12):327-35.
Nutrition in Wound Care Management: A Comprehensive Overview.
Quain AM(1), Khardori NM(1).
Author information:
(1)Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA.
Wound care is a multidisciplinary specialty requiring many physiologic and
immunologic processes as well as physical, social, and societal factors to
achieve successful wound closure. Most wounds are treated with combinations of
antimicrobials, protective barriers, and topical growth agents, including skin
and biologic grafts.The role of nutrition in wound healing may be overlooked in
the wound care patient. Like the specialty, it is often multifaceted, with many
nutritional components playing a variety of roles in the wound healing process.
Suboptimal nutrition can alter immune function, collagen synthesis, and wound
tensile strength, all of which are essential in the wound healing process. It is
also important to remember that not all wounds are equal: a burn is different
from a diabetic foot ulcer, which is different from a pressure ulcer.
Nonetheless, nutrition is a common denominator for all wound patients, and what
is studied in 1 wound population is often relevant in another. Due to the
complexities of monitoring and measuring both wound healing and dietary intake,
randomized, controlled trials of wound care patients are difficult to conduct,
and much of the data concerning nutrition in wound care relies on combined
supplements. In summary, it appears that some nutrients are necessary only if
deficient, whereas others may become conditionally essential and serve a
therapeutic role. All of the nutrients discussed should be viewed as a component
of a broader, complete diet. This article is a summary of wound healing and the
roles of a variety of macronutrients and micronutrients in the process.
PMID: 27447105 [Indexed for MEDLINE]
