Diabetes and the Effects on Wound Care
Diabetes and the Effects on Wound Care
Gordon State College
March 13, 2013
NURS 1901
Diabetes and the Effects on Wound Care Whether a patient has Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes makes no difference when it comes to the effects on wound care. Several problems arise with diabetics and the way there body works to heal a wound and what problems they face. Throughout all of the articles I reviewed they each list common issues patients face with wound healing. There are several things that diabetics can do to prevent ulcers from forming and to prevent the possible return once they have healed. The following articles discuss several different problems associated with diabetes and wounds. Patients who have diabetes are predisposed to greater risk factors in developing pressure ulcers. The healing process for these patients is a much longer duration than a patient who does not have diabetes. Impaired renal systems in a diabetic patient and uncontrolled blood glucose levels impair the healing process drastically. Diabetics develop neuropathy (numbness) in the feet, which is one of the leading causes of pressure ulcers and can lead to amputation of toes or the entire foot. Most patients suffer some form of injury or trauma to the affected area and have no idea of the injury due to loss of sensation in the area, and then prolonged untreated wounds can develop necrosis which will lead to amputation. Diabetic patients have a prolonged inflammation phase of wound healing that can increase the possibility of infection that prolongs healing. The most important things to prevent in patients is blood loss and infection entering the wound (Sharp & Clark, 2011). Calciphylaxis in a diabetic patient is a large problem when it comes to caring for a pressure ulcer or any type of wound. Calcium deposits in the blood vessels of the skin surface decrease blood profusion and can lead to dead tissue. Any untreated wound no matter where it
Gordon State College
March 13, 2013
NURS 1901
Diabetes and the Effects on Wound Care Whether a patient has Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes makes no difference when it comes to the effects on wound care. Several problems arise with diabetics and the way there body works to heal a wound and what problems they face. Throughout all of the articles I reviewed they each list common issues patients face with wound healing. There are several things that diabetics can do to prevent ulcers from forming and to prevent the possible return once they have healed. The following articles discuss several different problems associated with diabetes and wounds. Patients who have diabetes are predisposed to greater risk factors in developing pressure ulcers. The healing process for these patients is a much longer duration than a patient who does not have diabetes. Impaired renal systems in a diabetic patient and uncontrolled blood glucose levels impair the healing process drastically. Diabetics develop neuropathy (numbness) in the feet, which is one of the leading causes of pressure ulcers and can lead to amputation of toes or the entire foot. Most patients suffer some form of injury or trauma to the affected area and have no idea of the injury due to loss of sensation in the area, and then prolonged untreated wounds can develop necrosis which will lead to amputation. Diabetic patients have a prolonged inflammation phase of wound healing that can increase the possibility of infection that prolongs healing. The most important things to prevent in patients is blood loss and infection entering the wound (Sharp & Clark, 2011). Calciphylaxis in a diabetic patient is a large problem when it comes to caring for a pressure ulcer or any type of wound. Calcium deposits in the blood vessels of the skin surface decrease blood profusion and can lead to dead tissue. Any untreated wound no matter where it
References: Kauric-Klein, Z. (2012). Calciphylaxis: A Case Study. Nephrology Nursing Journal, 39(5), 406- 408. Sharp, A., & Clark, J. (2011). Diabetes and its effects on wound healing. Nursing Standard, 25(45), 41-47. Tschannen, D., Bates, O., Talsma, A., & Ying, G. (2012). Patient-specific and surgical characteristics in the development of pressure ulcers. American Journal Of Critical Care, 21(2), 116-125. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.4037/ajcc2012716