01 Mar 2010
In August 2008, an industrial accident in Mauritius left 32-year-old Frederic Foo Shin with a severely crushed right foot.
Although he was initially treated by doctors at home, the mechanical engineer subsequently turned to doctors at Singapore General Hospital (SGH).
To accelerate the healing process, Mr Foo underwent hyperbaric treatment at the hospital’s Hyperbaric and Diving Medicine Centre. During each session, he entered a special chamber where 100 percent oxygen was delivered at high pressure. This therapy has been shown to be highly effective in enhancing the wound healing process for chronic or slow-healing wounds.
During his six-week hospital stay, Mr Foo was cared for by wound nurse Tay Ai Choo. Said Ms Tay, Senior Nurse Clinician, Nurse Clinician (Specialty Care) Services, SGH: “It’s vital for severe or chronic wounds to be well managed. This means proper dressing and close monitoring because there’s always the risk that wounds may become infected and turn gangrenous – which means cell tissues are dead and decaying.”
Fortunately for Mr Foo, his wounds had healed well enough by the time he went for a check-up at SGH in October.
According to Ms Tay, proper wound management is about creating an ideal environment for the wound to heal. Whether the wound is from surgery, diabetes, bed sores or even a minor abrasion, it’s important to keep the wound clean and free from foreign particles; moist to allow healthy cells and tissue to regenerate and heal; and free from external interferences such as micro-organisms or prying fingers.
“The body has the ability to heal itself. You just need to support wound healing with proper dressing to enhance the healing process. Don’t tamper with wounds and don’t scratch, as this will cause scarring. To stop scratching, try wearing mittens over your hands when you sleep,” Ms Tay said.
After patients are discharged, they and their caregivers are taught to clean and dress wounds properly using the right kind of dressing. Similarly, people who sustain minor lacerations or abrasions should seek advice from their polyclinic or general practitioner about the right type of product to use. There are more than 2,000 types of topical dressings available for different kinds of cuts and wounds. These can range from gels and films to foams (see below), and are designed for different types of wounds.
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