Wound Healing: Wound Assessment
Presented by Wendy K. Anemaet
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How do you decide if you should treat a wound and what you should do for it? It all starts with a good assessment of the wound. Understanding the etiology of the wound, knowing the baseline status, and detecting prognostic factors aids therapists in making well informed decisions about whether or not to treat and how to treat wounds. This course provides assessment rationale and techniques that will aid therapists working with people who have wounds in the home and other settings.
Meet your instructor
Wendy K. Anemaet
Dr. Wendy K. Anemaet, a physical therapist since 1989 in home health, acute care, rehabilitation, outpatient, and skilled nursing, is an associate professor at the School of Physical Therapy at Regis University in Denver, Colorado. Wendy received her Master’s in Physical Therapy from the University of Southern California and…
Chapters & learning objectives
1. Wound Assessment and Types of Wounds
This chapter describes reasons for performing a wound assessment and details types of wounds including traumatic, surgical, burns, pressure, vascular, and diabetic wounds. It details the differences between the different types of wounds and provides information to assist practitioners in identifying wound etiology. Understanding wound etiology helps guide the assessment and intervention to enhance wound healing.
2. Measuring Wounds
This chapter details one of the most basic assessment techniques for wounds—wound measurement. It describes multiple methods for measuring surface area and wound depth, and discusses applying these methods for measuring the periphery as well. Understanding how best to measure a wound allows for accurate documentation of the wound and accurate representation of wound healing.
3. Assesssing Tissue Types
This chapter describes various types of tissue found in wounds, including granulation, epithelialization, eschar, slough, muscle, tendon, ligament, bone, nerve, and adipose. The implications of each type of tissue is discussed and the importance of being able to accurately identify each tissue type is stressed.
4. Assesssing the Periwound Area
This chapter describes assessment techniques for the area around the wound including skin color, temperature, callus, hair, pain, maceration, odor, drainage, and edema. By assessing the periwound area, clinicians gain valuable information about how the wound is healing. Signs of wound infection and assessing for wound infection will also be discussed.
