Wound Care Awareness Week and Month Observed in June

Karl Moo Young, MD

Southeastern Wound Healing Center, an affiliate of UNC Health Southeastern and member of the Healogics network, is helping raise awareness of the risks of chronic wounds during the ninth annual Wound Care Awareness Week, June 6-10.

The nation’s leading provider of advanced wound care, Healogics®, established Wound Care Awareness Month in 2014 to bring attention to the growing need for wound care and nearly 7 million Americans currently living with chronic wounds. Program directors across the nation are dedicating the entire week to educating physicians, patients and the general public about the prevalence of chronic wounds and the advanced wound care solutions that are available. Southeastern Wound Healing Center offers several advanced therapies to patients suffering from chronic wounds.

The incidence of chronic wounds is rising due to our aging population and increasing rates of disease. Various conditions like diabetes, peripheral artery disease (PAD), cardiovascular disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) increase the likelihood of a person having or developing a chronic wound. A breakdown of wound types, by prevalence, for those living with chronic wounds include: 

• Pressure Ulcers (43%)
• Diabetic Foot Ulcers (31%)
• Venous Stasis Ulcers (12%)
• Surgical Wounds or Trauma (8%)
• Arterial Ulcers (6%)

If left untreated, chronic wounds can lead to diminished quality of life and possibly amputation of the affected limb.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have only made matters worse, as many suffering from chronic wounds have not sought needed care during the past two years. The result has been a steep rise in amputations, according to a study from the American Diabetes Association.

With this in mind, now is the time for those suffering from chronic wounds to seek advanced wound care available at Southeastern Wound Healing Center.

“Now that the pandemic is essentially behind us, it is important for patients to seek care for any unhealing wounds they find to prevent serious complications later on,” said Southeastern Wound Healing Center Medical Director Karl Moo Young, M.D. “We are here to attend to their wound care needs.”

Visit www.woundcareawareness.com to learn more about Wound Care Awareness Week and hear from patients about how wound healing changed their lives. To schedule an appointment, please call (910) 738-3836.