Foreword

It is with great pleasure that I offer you, the reader, a few comments on the newest edition of this well written, wonderfully illustrated, textbook. In my opinion, this is the only textbook that truly provides insight into anatomy, physiology, diagnosis, and treatment of nonhealing wounds through a true interdisciplinary lens. Over a span of almost 30 years, I have been fortunate to practice with a balanced team of nurses, physical therapists (PTs), physicians, nurse practitioners (NPs), support staff, students, residents, and fellows. Our challenge, however, was to find a book that the entire team could use as a basis for our didactic content. How could a book strike a balance of content and depth, given the wide educational backgrounds of such a diverse team? Look no further, this is your book!

In 2008 at the University of Illinois Chicago, I started the first one-year clinical fellowship in wound care. We now have a full physical therapy wound team, NPs, WOCNs, and students rounding at a subacute unit, inpatient acute care, and outpatient wound clinics. This textbook literally covers our core content and is the didactic basis for our program. The first three chapters, which cover anatomy, wound healing physiology, and the overall work-up of a patient with a wound, must be completed by the fellow in the first month of the program. The tables, illustrations, and level of depth at a biochemical and cellular level, I believe, help new wound management providers develop an appreciation of the scope of knowledge necessary to provide wound care. Too often students come to our service hoping to figure out, “What dressing should I use?” While that question needs to be asked, it should follow a thorough history, physical, lab testing, and generation of a differential diagnosis, no different than for any other field of medicine. The section on wound diagnosis allows the reader to take a deep dive into various wound etiologies. We have our fellows read the respective chapter in this section prior to their clinical rotation, for example, in plastic or vascular surgery. The new chapter on pediatric wounds is a welcome addition to this text.

The section on wound bed preparation allows the reader to gain an understanding of all forms of debridement and how to manage these wounds with the correct dressings post procedure. The field of wound bed preparation has come a long way over the past 20 years, and with new diagnostic tools becoming available will continue to develop into the future.

Finally, the section on adjunctive therapies is informative and comprehensive. I believe this is a section physicians should really master. I have been amazed at how few of my colleagues understand the huge role these techniques play for patients with hard-to-heal wounds. Many years ago, I was introduced to Luther Kloth, PT, PhD from Marquette. After a visit to his lab, my team adopted PT-based modalities and encouraged others to broaden their knowledge in this critically important area. Finally, I am pleased to see a chapter on exercise therapy. So much of our time is focused on treating that we tend to forget about preventing initial wounds and wound recurrence. Helping our patients help themselves should take a bigger role in our wound care centers.

In summary, I am a major fan of this book and I know you will be as well; happy reading, and let's all continue to heal our patients. This book gives us much needed ammunition.