Your journey of healing with Bayhealth’s Wound Care Center will begin with a referral from your primary care physician or other specialist.
It’s important for us to understand your health history and other circumstances that may be impacting your wound or getting in the way of your healing. That’s why we do an overall health assessment in addition to a thorough examination of your wound.
Preparing for your Wound Care Appointment
Taking the following steps in advance of your first visit to the Wound Care Center will allow us to put you on a speedier and more efficient path to healing.
- Quit smoking and tobacco use
- If you have diabetes, make sure your blood sugar and nutrition and under control
- Have your doctor order diagnostic testing to be completed before your appointment. Some of the most common diagnostic tests for wounds are:
- A basic metabolic panel – blood test that gives information on substances in your blood and how your body’s systems are working
- X-rays – to determine the severity of a wound and check for infection
- Vascular studies – usually non-invasive tests that assess flow and architecture of your blood vessels; these may include ultrasound and ankle-brachial index (ABI)