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Impaired Wound Healing in Surgical Patients with Varying Degrees of Malnutrition
Author(s) -
Haydock David A.,
Hill Graham L.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
journal of parenteral and enteral nutrition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.935
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 1941-2444
pISSN - 0148-6071
DOI - 10.1177/0148607186010006550
Subject(s) - hydroxyproline , malnutrition , wound healing , medicine , surgery , protein–energy malnutrition , surgical wound , abnormality , psychiatry
The relationship between nutritional state and wound healing was examined in 66 adult surgical patients. Wound‐healing response was assessed by measuring the collagen content (hydroxyproline) of fine tubes of Gore‐tex inserted subcutaneously along standardized needle track arm wounds. After a period of 7 days, the tubes were removed and it was found that there was a higher hydroxyproline content in the tubing of 36 normally nourished patients than there was in the tubing of 21 patients with mild protein energy malnutrition (p < 0.01) and 9 patients with moderate to severe protein energy malnutrition (p < 0.01). There was no difference in the wound‐healing response between the two latter groups of patients who had significantly different degrees of malnutrition. The results suggest that a definite abnormality in the wound‐healing response exists in malnourished surgical patients, but it occurs earlier in the course of the illness than previously supposed. (Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 10:550–554, 1986)