What is moist wound healing?

Up until the 1960s, the most common approach to wound healing was to keep a wound dry. Wounds were either left uncovered, to allow them to dry or they were covered with a dry gauze dressing, however around that time, Dr Winter discovered something interesting. Wounds heal twice as face in a moist environment than they did under a dry scab or in dry conditions.

Since Dr Winter's discovery, research has shown that a moist environment actually helps wounds heal, and speeds up that wound healing process. Dressings can help create a moist environment to support wound healing.

If the wound is to wet, or to dry this will slow down the wound healing process.

Wounds go through certain stages in order to heal.

The 4 stages of wound healing are:

• Hemostasis
• Inflammation
• Proliferation
• Re-modelling.

During Hemostasis, the bodies immediate reaction to the injury is to stop the flow of blood. Red blood cells and platelets, released from damaged blood vessels flow into the wound and form a plug or clot in the wound.

The inflammatory phase of healing allows white blood cells into the wound area. These white blood cells are an important part of the healing process as they are attracted to the damaged cells, helping to kill local bacteria and swamp dead tissue. Once all the dead tissue has gone the inflammation gradually reduces.

During the proliferation phase the wound is filled with new granulation tissue. This new tissue fills from the base of the wound and in the final stages of proliferation wound edges slowly start to contract and move closer together.

Re-modelling is the final stage of healing, which begins during the proliferation phase. Collagen also develops at this stage which supports the strength of the new skin. Re-modelling can take up to 2 years.

To support the wound in these stages, we need to create the right environment for the wound. We can do this with the right dressings, helping to create the moist environment that wounds need to heal.