Advanced therapies for chronic wounds: NPWT, engineered skin, growth factors, extracellular matrices

Abstract

Advanced wound care implies the use of products or procedures that are specialized. Although dermatologists are used to being specialists of the skin, hair, and nails, chronic wound care has evolved such that there are some specific treatment options that are more commonly ordered and performed in wound care clinics. Wound care clinics are staffed by specialists and generalists including dermatologists, but also orthopedic surgeons, vascular surgeons, infectious disease specialists, internists, family practitioners, hyperbaric oxygen-trained physicians from a variety of backgrounds, podiatrists, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners. The care of chronic wounds has almost become its own specialty, with so-called advanced therapies now including the use of growth factors, extracellular matrices, engineered skin, and negative pressure wound therapy. It is critical that the dermatologists understand the treatments such that they can appropriately apply or order them directly, or be involved with the care of their patients receiving these therapies.