Stay in the know with buzz words from the wound care circle: FOCUS: WOUND CARE TECHNOLOGY

Debridement: Removal of devitalised tissue, cellular debris and any foreign matter from the wound.¹

Extracellular matrix: a non-cellular combination of fibrous and non-fibrous material that is part of connective tissue. The matrix supports the formation of granulation tissue and blood vessels. The fibrous portion is comprised of collagen, elastin, and reticulin.¹

Health information technology (HIT): a broad concept involving a variety of hardware, software and networking technologies and involves the management of health information. It includes electronic health records (EHRs) and personal health records as well as e-prescribing.^2,3

Hydrogels: three-dimensional networks of hydrophilic polymer chains that are water insoluble. Their mechanical and chemical properties can be easily tailored for specific applications by changing the building blocks and processing techniques used for manufacturing.³

Keloid: excessive scar formation elevated above the plane of the skin and extending beyond the boundary of the original wound, resulting in a raised, firm, thickened scar that may grow for a prolonged period of time, more frequently seen in dark pigmented skin.¹