What is a necrotic wound? 

Wound necrosis is a phenomenon in which the tissue cells in the wound die and gradually spread if not treated promptly and properly. Any wound is at risk of necrosis. Especially with wounds caused by organ surgery, open wounds in the position of hands and feet …

Necrotic wounds are mainly classified into 2 types:

• In case of dry necrosis:  no fluid, brown/black color and may peel off in patches of necrotic skin.

• Wet necrosis:  ulceration, consisting of dead tissue and yellow/reddish-brown fluid.

Necrotic wound care – signs

• Pain

– This is a typical sign when the wound is necrotic, the pain level will gradually increase depending on the degree of necrosis of the wound.

– Dry necrotic wounds will be very painful but not ulcerated. In contrast, burning pain in the wound will often be accompanied by swelling, heat, redness and sores in wet necrotic wounds.

• Fever

The patient will usually have a mild/high fever depending on the extent of the infection and the injury of the wound. In case the patient has a high fever > 39 degrees Celsius continuously without / difficult to lower for 48 hours, family members need to take the patient to the nearest medical facility for timely examination, care and treatment.

• Wounds smell 

Most of the necrotic wounds will often have a rotten smell that brings discomfort to the patient and the surrounding people. This is a telltale sign that the wound is infected. At this time, the wound needs to be cleaned with specialized antiseptic solutions and removed the necrotic parts.

A wound that is no longer odorous will indicate good progress in the treatment of gangrene, as the necrotic portion has been removed and is no longer spreading.

Effective and safe necrotic wound care

Causes of necrosis 

Necrotic wounds form due to many different causes. The most common cause is one of the following two:

• Infected wound: due to staphylococcus, streptococcus attack. From there, the bacterial toxins cause ulcers and tissue necrosis at the site of injury.
• Because the wound is bandaged too tightly, the amount of blood to the wound is not enough to nourish the tissues. Thereby causing the wound to dry up and the tissues to die gradually.

The process of treating necrotic wounds

Principles of care and treatment of necrotic wounds should be based on the following three nine principles:

• Remove the necrotic parts to avoid the surrounding tissue necrosis. In cases where the necrosis has spread too widely, the doctor may consider removing all of the surrounding tissue.
• Clean the wound daily with an appropriate antiseptic solution to control infection, ensure the wound is clean, and avoid superinfection causing further damage.
• Use pain relievers, fever reducers and antibiotics on a case-by-case basis or strictly prescribed by your doctor.

It is necessary to strictly follow these 3 principles, the patient’s necrosis will be improved quickly, avoiding the risk of harming the health or life of the patient.

How to handle the necrotic part of the lesion? 

The necrotic part of the lesion should be removed as soon as possible. Because if it is still present, the surrounding tissues are very susceptible to pathogens entering, attacking and causing necrosis. It is best to go to a medical facility for a doctor to remove the necrotic part.

How to handle the necrotic part of the lesion? 

The necrotic part of the lesion should be removed as soon as possible. Because it still exists, the surrounding tissue is very susceptible to pathogens entering and causing necrosis. It is best to ask a professional or visit a doctor to remove the necrotic part.

The wound should be kept clean and dry at all times. If fluid from the wound soaks up the dressing, the patient should be changed immediately. In cases where the necrosis is too much, the tissues have been crushed and spread too quickly, the doctor may prescribe to remove the entire necrotic part from the body.

Care for necrotic wounds, clean with antiseptic solution

Using an appropriate antiseptic solution will play a decisive role in the treatment of skin necrosis and subcutaneous tissues. When choosing an antiseptic solution, it is important to pay attention to the following important criteria:

• Efficacy: wide antibacterial spectrum, ensuring the destruction of many types of pathogens, helping to quickly clean the wound.
• Quickly promote the effect to speed up the recovery after injury 
• Do not cause pain, irritation on open mucous membranes, discomfort to the patient. 
• No further damage to the fibroblasts is required, ensuring a natural, unhindered healing of the wound. 
• Absolutely safe to use for wounds with large and deep lesions. 
• Colorless for easy observation of local wound progression.