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Measurements in Wound Healing pp 63–71Cite as

Nutrition and Wound Healing

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Abstract

Adequate nutrition is a crucial factor in preventing and healing wounds. Despite the presence of many studies over the course of years, evidence about the relationship between nutrition and wounds is still lacking, due to its multi-factorial origins. It is generally accepted that wound patients are at risk in terms of nutritional problems. Malnutrition must be considered a crucial factor in determining prognosis, quality of life, rehabilitation, and costs for most patients, both in hospital and at home. Patients with wounds should undergo a nutritional procedure for diagnosis and treatment; adoption of a formal screening test to identify patients with a malnutrition risk could be considered the first step of an ideal process. The second step would be a complete nutritional assessment with analysis of intake and dietary allowances, identifying a nutritional plan and a follow-up program. Nutritional care could involve a standard treatment, but specific nutrients seem to have specific roles in wound healing. The gap between literature evidence and clinical practice is still wide regarding nutritional treatment in wounds care management; strategies to increase awareness of the importance of malnutrition in wound patients should be adopted. Actual and history weight, body mass index and a formal screening tool for malnutrition should be part of the evaluation of all wound patients.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the “AIUC Study Group on Nutrition and Pressure Ulcers” who provided support to collect data shown in “The perspective of wound care managers”: Emanuele Cereda, Milano (Italy); Guido Ciprandi, Roma (Italy); Marco Masina, Bologna (Italy); Carlo Pedrolli, Trento (Italy); Oreste Sidoli, Parma (Italy); Giorgio Vertsonis, Bologna (Italy).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinical Nutrition Service, Geriatric Department, Morgagni Pierantoni Hospital, Forlì, 47100, Italy

    Giuseppe Benati M.D.

  2. Department of Dermatology, Wound Healing Unit Research, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

    Maria S. Bertone CD

Authors
  1. Giuseppe Benati M.D.
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  2. Maria S. Bertone CD
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Correspondence to Giuseppe Benati M.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine, University of Southampton, Tremona Road, Southampton, SO16 6YD, United Kingdom

    Raj Mani

  2. Centro SERRA, Università di Pisa, Lungarno Pacinotti 43, Pisa, 56100, Italy

    Marco Romanelli

  3. Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, New F. Jodhpur Colony 6, Varanasi, 221 005, India

    Vijay Shukla

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© 2012 Springer-Verlag London

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Benati, G., Bertone, M.S. (2012). Nutrition and Wound Healing. In: Mani, R., Romanelli, M., Shukla, V. (eds) Measurements in Wound Healing. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2987-5_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2987-5_4

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-2986-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-2987-5

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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