DEFINITION OF TERMS

Acute Wound
An acute wound is tissue damage caused by a traumatic event such as an accident, surgical wound or those caused by heat, friction or chemicals. An acute wound is expected to progress through the phases of normal healing, without impairment to the end result of wound closure.

Chronic Wound
A chronic wound fails to progress or respond, taking longer than the normal healing time frame of four weeks. It remains locked in the inflammatory phase which can be due to certain factors such as medications, poor nutrition, co-morbidities or inappropriate dressing selection.