Wound
healing can be severely inhibited by systemic disease. A number of
diseases interfere with healing at one phase or another. Leading is
venous hypertension and chronic venous leg ulcers are a long-term
complication.
Diabetes
mellitus associated with poor glycemic control also directly impairs
healing. Moreover, long-term complications of diabetes mellitus include
neuropathy and arterial vasculature insufficiency, both causing and
preventing wounds to heal.
Prolonged
periods of pressure for whichever reason also result in skin necrosis
and wounds that require long healing times. Depending on the
patient´s general health conditions these wounds may heal well or
not at all.
Finally,
autoimmune disease must be mentioned. Immune cells are so activated
that they prevent wounds from entering the granulation phase.
Inflammation must be controlled by drugs (e.g. corticosteroids) in
order to progress.
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