Prepared by Dave Phillips

A very wide variety of sites exist for the field of wound care, from those selling quack products to erudite sites for the learned researcher. Chronic wounds are associated with old age and inactivity, and diabetes. With an ageing and less active population, this therapeutic area is likely to expand considerably in the coming years and be of interest to clinicians, the general public and policy makers. Due to the huge number of sites this tour cannot be comprehensive, but I have aimed to provide a wide variety of sites to satisfy healthcare professionals, researchers, patients and laypersons alike.

Chronic wounds come in many shapes and, unfortunately, sizes. Leg ulcers, bed sores, diabetic ulcers and some tropical sores are examples of chronic wounds, which cause the patients a great deal of pain and suffering. A large amount of information about these can be found at the site of MAYOHEALTH. This has a great deal of information about a large number of ailments, with the section on dermatology being particularly good.

There are a number of charities and societies which are dedicated to chronic wounds; foremost among these is the Tissue Viability Society whose site is clear and informative. Educational material is available from this forum, and training days and conferences are organised.

Many of the problems of bed sores particularly, can be alleviated by simple good nursing care. A comprehensive and well-written guide for nursing professionals is based at the University of Iowa's nursing school. All areas of chronic wound treatment are explored at this excellent site, along with other areas of nursing interest. The standard is particularly high as you might expect of a world class teaching unit. The Dermatology Times of Canada and the excellent Bandolier site, based at the world-renowned John Radcliffe teaching hospital in Oxford, are also highly informative for the healthcare professional. The Dermatology Times of Canada follows more of a tabloid format than either of the other two, with the Oxford site being the "broadsheet" version, being dedicated to the promotion of "evidence based medicine" and carefully collected data.

Many of the problems of Chronic Wounds occur as a result of diabetes, and an excellent site dedicated to this topic may be found at the diabetes site of Miningco, which has a regularly updated series of articles, a carefully though out guide, and good links to associated and related sites. As with many areas of medicine, a very good place to find news and up to date comment about chronic wounds and diabetes is at the Doctors Guide to the Internet, which can be found at the general health site of the PSL Consulting Group. And, inevitably with a problem that affects so many, there are any number of Diabetes societies and associations. One of the best of these sites is that for the American Diabetes Association, a well-constructed and informative site.

Many people who have worked in the field of wound care will verify that it can become an obsession even after the job ends. One person who found so has a website which will appeal to anyone interested in either chronic wounds or Formula One cars! Cryptically called MDL's Page , this site has been written by someone with a genuine interest in the subject. Carefully scripted explanations of many of the underlying problems which lead to chronic wounds are coupled with highly informative pages explaining the latest advances both in understanding the problems and in treating them He is sponsored by a number of the larger wound care product manufacturers, to whom links are included. His pictures of Formula One cars are rather good, too!

The products of different companies which are available are objectively tested and evaluated at the Surgical Materials Testing Laboratory (SMTL) in the UK. They are listed on a very well managed and up to date web site which has a large amount of information relating to wound care in general and to treatments in particular. This is one of the most comprehensive sites available, having an online journal, information relating to most of the treatments available, and a resource section. Beware, however, if you are squeamish - biotherapies which are coming into mainstream use are a speciality here!

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