Wound Center Encourages You to Treat Your Unhealing Wounds

The Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Center at Carteret Health Care is helping raise awareness of chronic wounds. The fifth annual Wound Care Awareness Week is being held from June 4 to June 8. Carteret Health Care, a member of the Healogic network, offers advanced therapies to patients suffering from chronic wounds. Program Directors across the nation will dedicate the entire week to educating physicians, patients and the general public about the chronic wound epidemic and the advanced wound care solutions.

It is estimated that chronic wounds affect 6.7 million people in the U.S. and the incidence is rising, fueled by an aging population and increasing rates of diseases and conditions such as diabetes, obesity and the late effects of radiation therapy. If left untreated, chronic wounds can lead to diminished quality of life and possibly amputation of the affected limb.

“We see patients living with non-healing wounds for a prolonged amount of time due to the lack of awareness of advanced wound care options,” said D. Scott Covington, MD, FACS, Provider Education and Engagement leader for Healogics. “We work to educate community physicians about which of their patients can benefit from advanced wound care, and then provide coordinated care to heal that patient’s wounds.”

The Wound Center offers specialized treatment for chronic or non-healing wounds, which are defined as sores or wounds that have not significantly improved from conventional treatments. Associated with inadequate circulation, poorly functioning veins and immobility, non-healing wounds lead to lower quality of life and may lead to amputations. When wounds persist, a specialized approach is required for healing. Typically, a wound that doesn’t respond to normal medical care within 30 days is considered a problem or chronic wound.

Located at 3722 Bridges Street, Carteret’s Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Center has two hyperbaric oxygen chambers and offers state-of-the-art treatments including debridement, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, dressing selection, special shoes and patient education, people with non-healing and chronic wounds now have a place to turn. For more information, call the Wound Center at (252) 499-8450.