Wound Care

We know a chronic wound can alter your quality of life. Blending clinical expertise and education, the wound care nurse at Westlake Hospital is available to assist in the prevention and treatment of non-healing wounds. Westlake Hospital has a nurse wound care specialist on staff to provide wound care services to patients upon referral.

If you have a non-healing wound, your first step is to make an appointment with your primary care physician.

What is a wound?

All skin wounds are defined as disruptions of the skin that cause a repair process to start in the body. There are two types of wounds – acute and chronic. Acute wounds usually heal within an expected time frame. Chronic wounds can linger for weeks, months and even years. Patients often have several medical conditions that delay the healing process.  Multiple factors can slow or stop normal wound repair:

• Diabetes
• Kidney dialysis
• Age
• Swelling
• Cancer
• Medications
• Infection
• Poor circulation
• Poor nutrition

Inpatient wound care

When a patient is admitted to Westlake Hospital and has an acute or chronic wound, the wound/ostomy nurse is available upon referral and will assess and document the wound. The nurse works in conjunction with the patient’s physician to aid in treatment if necessary.

Wound care treatments available at Westlake include:

• Wound Vacuum Assisted Closure – Draws wound closed using controlled, localized negative pressure 
• Appropriate Wound Dressings 
• Pain Management