Define the factors that affect patient wound healing - Essay Example

Patient Wound Healing Patient Wound Healing It is imperative that patients who have undergone any form of surgical operation to have proper healing. This is to avoid any future complications that might arise after the discharging of the patient. There are certain things that might impede the healing process that a patient goes through, and this often negatively affects the functioning of the patient (Sussman & Bates-Jensen 2007, p. 64). These factors may exist within the external environment to which the patient is exposed, or they may be internal depending on the patient.

One factor that may impact a patient’s healing is poor surgical hygiene. This is a local factor within the patient’s environment that stems from poor surgical practice, and may lead to a delay in the healing of a wound (Baillie 2014, p. 78). Also, the extent of tissue damage may influence how fast or well a wound heals. If there are continuous problems within the tissue, it may take a longer period for a patient to heal. Secondly, there is the presence of vascular disorders. Examples include; arteriosclerosis and venous deficiency.

The above could be classified under some of the local factors that affect the healing process of patients, which may not be within the patient’s control (Baranoski & Ayello 2008, p. 57). Age, which is among the systemic factors, may also impact the rate at which a patient heals from a wound. This is through a weakened expression of metalloproteinases. Furthermore, the kind of medication that a patient is exposed to may alter the rate at which he/she heals from a wound (Vincent 2011, p. 84).

Some topically used medicine may affect the patient’s healing power, making the wound heal slower than it would have under other circumstances. ReferencesBaillie, L 2014, Developing practical nursing skills, Macmillan Publishers, London. Baranoski, S & Ayello, EA 2008, Wound care essentials: practice principles, Hart Publishing, London.Hess, TC 2008, Skin and wound care, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, London.Pudner, R 2010, Nursing the surgical patient, Bantam Books, London.Sussman, C & Bates-Jensen, BM 2007, Wound care: a collaborative practice manual, Russell House, Dorset.

Vincent, C 2011, Patient safety, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London.