Sårtåendevård

Sårtåendevård is a Swedish term for wound-focused care within health services. It denotes a field that encompasses prevention, assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of wounds, ranging from acute injuries to chronic ulcers, across hospital, primary care, and home-based settings. The aims are to promote healing, prevent infection, reduce pain, maintain function, and improve quality of life. Wounds addressed in sårtåendevård include surgical and traumatic wounds, pressure injuries, venous and arterial ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, skin tears, and burns.

Assessment in sårtåendevård is systematic and ongoing, involving wound size and depth, wound bed characteristics, presence of necrosis, exudate level, surrounding skin condition, signs of infection, and patient factors such as comorbidities and nutrition. Documentation uses standardized tools, with photography or measurements when appropriate, to monitor changes over time.

Management combines cleansing and debridement as needed, appropriate moisture balance with dressings, infection prevention and control, and pain management. Dressing choices depend on exudate, infection risk, and tissue needs, ranging from hydrocolloid and foam to alginate and hydrogel. Advanced therapies may include negative pressure wound therapy, bioengineered skin substitutes, antiseptic or enzymatic products, and adjunctive modalities as indicated. Offloading for limb ulcers and compression therapy where appropriate are essential components. Nutritional support and optimization of metabolic status support healing.

Care delivery involves a multidisciplinary team and patient education. Care pathways emphasize continuity across hospital, primary care, and home care, guided by national or regional guidelines. Outcomes tracked include healing rate, time to closure, recurrence, infection rates, pain control, and patient-reported quality of life.