April, 2005

Dear Readers,

       In this first special section on palliative wound care, Section Editor Dr. Oscar M. Alvarez has assembled a series of articles focusing on prevalence of chronic wounds in the frail patient and the challenges of balancing the treatment options with the overall priorities of the patient and family. In his commentary, Dr. Alvarez discusses palliative care goals and concepts and debunks the notion that these are associated with “giving up.”
       In the Evidence Corner, Dr. Laura Bolton reviews 2 recent articles addressing the effectiveness of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) for improving healing. The efficacy outcomes measured by the authors included wound closure, time to complete closure, facilitation of surgical closure, reduction in bacterial burden, need for debridement, improved cosmesis, and activities of daily life. In her summary of the reports, Dr. Bolton points out the benefits of NPWT for managing large volumes of wound exudate but also the need for additional studies to establish its safety and efficacy for healing.