Acute wounds normally proceed through an orderly and timely reparative process that results in sustained restoration of anatomic and functional integrity. A key principle for the management of acute wounds is that the handling and treatment of tissue must be as atraumatic. (i.e., non-traumatic) as possible (Cohen et al., 1999)
Acute wounds can be categorised by the mechanism of injury such as burn wounds, incised wounds, avulsion, contused, lacerated, and puncture wounds.
Typically heals in 1-3 weeks with the restoration of underlying tissue, integrity and function of the skin. Generally, surgical intervention such as skin gradt, flaps and cosmetic interventions may be required for wound closure.
Acute wound can progress to a chronic wound if it does not heal within 6 weeks.
Wounds that do not heal fast despite all the interventions carried out and at times, never heals and causes distress in patients. even it is treated, tends to recur! Typically it is caused by poor circulation but at times there are other factors also contribute to it such as systemic illnesses such as vasculitis, ischemia, repeated trauma and old age.
