For immediate release: Monday 23 June
How to Apply Nutritional Support to Help Reduce Delayed Wound Healing
A new practical information resource on the importance of nutrition in the healing of wounds, developed by a group of Australian wound care experts, has been released today. This unique, evidence-based tool, which considers and reviews the latest clinical data and practical experience, aims to help make a difference to the significant burden of chronic wounds in the community.
Without adequate nutrition, healing may be impaired and prolonged, whilst improved nutritional status enables the body to heal wounds.
1 Ensuring people with wounds have the right amount of nutrients such as protein, including the amino acid l-arginine, and energy, contributed by carbohydrates and fats, is crucial for the wound healing process.
1
“The evidence shows that nutritional support needs to be considered a fundamental part of wound management,” said Associate Professor Michael Woodward, a geriatrician at the Austin Hospital in Victoria, and President of the Australian Wound Management
Association. “While nutrition is a simple way to help manage the problem of non-healing wounds, until now there been no clear and simple information available in one resource.
For this reason, we felt it was important to provide this practical, evidence-based advice to our colleagues.”
Wounds that take more than 4-6 weeks to heal are defined as chronic, non-healing or slow-to-heal, 2 and may include pressure ulcers, ulcers on legs and feet, wounds in people with diabetes, post-operative wounds, and extended burns. Chronic wounds may occur in any individual but are more frequent in the elderly and chronically ill.
3,4
The aims of the new resource are to:
 Provide simple advice on the role of nutrition in wound healing
 Summarise the relationship between nutrition and wound healing

 Provide easy-to-use guidance on when and how to implement nutritional support to promote wound healing
“With an ageing population and a dramatically increasing prevalence of chronic disease, the concern is that slow-to-heal wounds will become an even more significant issue for our health systems,” said Jan Rice, Wound Nurse Consultant, La Trobe University,
Victoria. “We often see people suffering unnecessarily due to chronic wounds. By making this information on nutrition available and easy to use by all those involved in wound care, we hope to help improve wound healing and reduce the impact of this problem.
”
The prevalence of chronic wounds in Australia has been described as a hidden epidemic.
5 A statewide survey in Victorian hospitals showed pressure ulcer prevalence of nearly 18 percent 5 , however many ulcers go unseen, undocumented, untreated and uncosted. Pressure ulcers are associated with pain, discomfort, decreased mobility, loss of independence and social isolation.
6,7 In terms of financial burden, it is estimated that pressure ulcers alone cost the country around $286M a year in hospital bed days.
5
In addition, between 1-2% of the population live with recurrent leg ulceration.
8 Ulcers on the leg greatly affect mobility; 45% of people with them are housebound.
9 The burden of ulcers on the leg is probably under-reported in people of working age as they are more likely to be caring for themselves at home.
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The editorial group is:
 Associate Professor Michael Woodward, Geriatrician, Austin Hospital, Victoria, and
President of the Australian Wound Management Association
 Associate Professor Geoff Sussman OAM, Wound Consultant & Pharmacist,
Auckland University & Monash University
 Jan Rice, Wound Nurse Consultant, La Trobe University, Victoria
 Tal Ellis, Wound Nurse Consultant, Woundheal Australia, South Australia
 Virginia Fazio, Consultant Dietitian, Victoria

The resource is for use by physicians, specialist wound care nurses, institutional nurses, community/home care nurses, dietitians, physiotherapists, podiatrists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, and any other professionals involved in wound care.
For a copy of the Nutrition and Wound Healing guide telephone toll free:
1800 671 628 in Australia or 0800 607 662 in New Zealand.
The development of this resource has been supported with an educational grant from
Nestlé Healthcare Nutrition.
For more information please contact Cube:
Anne-Marie Sparrow: 02 9578 2050 anne-marie@cubepr.com.au
Kerrie Rhodes 02 9578 2000 kerrie@cubepr.com.au
References
1. Williams JZ, Barbul A. Nutrition and wound healing. Surg Clin N Am 2003;83:571-596.
2.
Vaneau M, Chaby G, Guillot B, Martel P, Senet P, Téot L, Chosidow O. Consensus panel recommendations for chronic and acute wound dressings. Arch Dermatol. 2007 Oct;143(10):1291-4.
3. Edmonds J. Nutrition and wound healing: putting theory into practice. Br J Community Nurs
2007;12(12):S31-4.
4. Hurd TA. Nutrition and Wound-care Management/Prevention. Wound Care Canada;2(2):20-24.
5. PUPPS 3 – Pressure ulcer point prevalence survey. Statewide report 2006. State of Victoria, Department of Human Services.
6. Australian Wound Management Association. Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prediction and
Prevention of Pressure Ulcers. 2001.
7. Desneves KJ, Todorovic BE, Cassar A, Crowe TC. Treatment with supplementary arginine, vitamin C and zinc in patients with pressure ulcers: A randomised controlled trial. Clin Nutr 2005;24:979-987.
8. Briggs M, Closs SJ. The prevalence of leg ulceration: a review of the literature. EWMA Journal.
2003;3(2):14-20.
9. Baker SR, Stacey MC. Epidemiology of chronic leg ulcers in Australia. Aust NZ J Surg. 1994 Apr;
64(4):258-61.