Chronic, non-healing wounds, those that haven’t shown signs of improvement in several weeks or are not responding to typical treatments, need extra help to heal. Difficult wounds of this type are often caused by injury, disease or poor blood supply. Dekalb Regional Medical Center provides specialized treatment for these types of wounds.
The DeKalb Regional Medical Center Wound Care Clinic offers specialized therapies for chronic or non-healing wounds that do not heal within 30 days.
With treatments available including debridement, state-of-the-art topical treatments, specialized dressing selections, special shoes, and patient education, the DeKalb Regional Medical Center Wound Care Clinic can help you return to the life you love. The Center uses an interdisciplinary model of care, including infectious-disease management, reduced blood flow diagnosis, physical therapy, laboratory evaluation, nutritional management, pain management, diabetes education and other areas to address total patient health.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Do I need a referral? No. You may refer yourself.
- Do I need an appointment? Yes. An appointment is required to see a physician.
- Does the Wound Care Clinic accept insurance? Yes.
Patients are mostly referred by their primary care physician, and the program operates by appointment. Upon referral, patients undergo a thorough diagnostic examination to identify the type of wound t...
DeKalb Regional Medical Center Wound Care Clinic is designed to complement your physicians' services and is committed to the treatment of chronic or non-healing wounds. The center is made up of a team...
Once a treatment plan has been initiated, you will visit the center on a regular basis for specialized treatments and documentation of the progress of your healing. You will also be fully instructed o...
Chronic Wounds
It is estimated that 6.7 million people currently live with chronic wounds and that number is expected to grow at more than two percent for the next decade. Untreated chronic wounds can lead to diminished quality of life and possibly amputation of the affected limb. Advanced wound care aims to prevent amputations and heal patients in a faster and more cost-effective way.
At the DeKalb Regional Medical Center Wound Care Clinic, we follow treatment protocols specifically established for each type of wound. We strive to utilize the latest approaches to wound healing and remain current in new scientific advances in wound care.
Patients can be referred by a physician, but a referral is not required to make an appointment. The program operates by appointment. Upon admission, patients undergo a thorough diagnostic examination by one of our physicians to identify the type of wound they have and the underlying problems causing the wound. The initial appointment consists of a full assessment to determine the cause of the wound, the appropriate classification and size of the wound, the overall health status of the patient and the patient’s ability to comply with needed therapies.
Based on the evaluation, a customized treatment plan is developed to optimize the therapies best suited to address the patient’s needs. Wound size and depth are documented at the initial visit, and again at each subsequent visit. Some of the diagnostic modalities which may be used include:
- Laboratory evaluation
- Radiology (including MRI)
- Transcutaneous oxygen testing
- Vascular studies, electrocardiogram
- Ultrasound
- Skin or tissue grafting
- Medications and dressing to enhance wound healing
After this determination, a program specifically tailored to your needs will be initiated based on the most effective treatment options. An interdisciplinary approach will be used to provide the maximum healing possible.
Specialized wound care is usually administered on an outpatient basis.