Five million Americans live with chronic wounds resulting from complications related to diabetes, pressure ulcers, circulatory problems, and traumatic injuries. Chronic wounds often interfere with daily life and can cause a person to lose hope. A wound that will not heal needs more than just another dressing. It needs the experience of a multidisciplinary wound care team, like the one at Washington County Hospital’s Wound Center.

Our care, customized to each patient’s unique situation, promotes the healing process. The Wound Center team specializes in the following:

■ Diabetic foot ulcers and leg ulcers
■ Bone infections
■ Preparation and preservation of skin grafts or flaps in compromised tissue
■ Crush injuries
■ Thermal burns

Program of Care

Your care begins when qualified medical professionals perform an initial overall assessment of our patients. All the necessary caregivers are involved, including surgeons, specialists, consultants, and therapists. A physician trained in wound care performs a thorough examination of the wound and the surrounding areas. The team then creates an individualized treatment plan using advanced techniques and therapeutic products to heal your wound. We share your treatment plan with your primary care physician, who remains an active member of the wound management team.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Some wounds require hyperbaric oxygen therapy, a medical treatment in which we use oxygen to help heal diseased tissues. You receive treatment while lying comfortably in a specially designed, pressurized chamber. You will breathe 100% oxygen, a much higher concentration than is in the air you normally breathe. The benefit of hyperbaric oxygen therapy results from an oxygen-enriched bloodstream, not from the direct contact of oxygen with the wound.

A treatment plan is tailored to each patient and the number of treatments will be based on your individual needs. Some cases require only a few treatments, while other wound-healing situations may require as many as twenty to forty treatments. In general, hyperbaric treatment is administered once a day, five days a week, and lasts 90 to 120 minutes. Treatments are most effective if done consecutively. Your faithful commitment to the treatment schedule is an important part of the healing process.

Hyperbaric therapy does require some special preparation. You should stop smoking for the entire course of your treatment. Use of tobacco products inhibits the delivery of blood and oxygen to your body tissues and may slow the healing process.

Some medications may limit your body’s response to hyperbaric oxygen therapy, so it is very important to give the Wound Center medical team a complete list of any prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, and herbal medications or supplements that you may be taking. Also notify your doctor if you develop a cold, sore throat, cough, fever, diarrhea, or any other illness. Illness may cause a temporary delay in your treatment schedule.

Personal items are not permitted in the hyperbaric chamber. This includes jewelry, dentures, partial plates, and hearing aids. You may be asked to remove your contact lenses as well, depending on which type you wear. We’ll provide you with a surgical gown during your treatment, and a storage area will be available for your clothing and other personal items. We recommend that you leave any valuable items at home.

Referral Information

Patients may be referred to our center by a physician, or they may call the center directly for an appointment. To contact the Wound Center at Washington County Hospital, call 240-313-9580.