Five rules for wound healing

Cells and enzymes function best at normal body temperature. A temperature drop (cooling) of 2° C is sufficient to affect the biological and healing process of a wound.

The presence of bacteria in a wound can create a burden on the wound healing process as the bacteria compete for the oxygen and nutrients in a wound. The more bacteria in a wound, the greater the effect on the healing process.

Consider the location, shape, and tissue type, surrounding tissue, characteristics, and history.

Covered wounds typically epithelialize twice as quickly as the wounds exposed to air. Wounds exposed to the air result in the escape of moisture vapor which causes the death of superficial cells and results in the formation of a scab composed of dried blood and dead cells.

Adequate nutrition is needed for all phases of wound healing. Nutrition is also essential for adequate immune system and to fight off infection.