Vim & Vigor - Winter 2011 - Phelps County Regional Medical Center - (Page 49)

Sore no more PCRMC research is finding a faster way to cure chronic wounds—and the miracle product is made in Rolla By Kristen Jump Peg gie Tay lor, wo und car e nur se We’ve all been there: We’ve fallen down, scraped up our arms and legs, accidentally cut ourselves … the list goes on. The remedy is usually easy—clean the cut or wounds, put on a bandage and wait for the body to heal itself. But some people wait and wait, and their wounds still persist. “When most people get a paper cut, it has healed by the next day; the body starts to heal immediately,” says Peggie Taylor, wound care nurse at Phelps County Regional Medical Center (PCRMC). The blood clots to form a protective barrier, while inflammation makes sure the wound is clean and has enough moisture to properly heal. The progress continues until the wound has healed. “But a chronic wound doesn’t follow the usual path of healing,” Taylor says. That means no signs of progress, and it may even appear worse with time. “I treated a lady who had a wound on her ankle from bumping into a milk crate in the garage,” she says. “The wound hadn’t healed for three years. There’s no reason that shouldn’t heal.” TREATING CHRONIC WOUNDS Many factors can halt a wound from healing, Taylor says. “You just have to figure out what the wound needs. I like to tease my patients that I’m the ‘wound whisperer.’ ” If a wound is too wet, Taylor tries ways to relieve the excess moisture; conversely, if the wound is too dry the skin cells will die, so it’s Vim & Vigor • WI NTER 2011 49

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Winter 2011 - Phelps County Regional Medical Center

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2011 - Phelps County Regional Medical Center
Contents
Opening Thoughts
Spotlight On ... Two of PCRMC Medical Group's newest physicians
Beat the Winter Blues!
A CERT-ain Kind of Dedication
Back in Action
Supplementary Knowledge
Keys to Survival
Clearing the Air
Mark Harmon of NCIS fame makes 60 look good
This One’s for the Girls
Life After a Loss
Do Your Diabetes Homework
Healthy Returns
Sore No More
When Is a Doctor Not a ‘Doctor’?
Foundation: Joy of Caring Cancer Fund
Auxiliary: VolunTEEN program

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2011 - Phelps County Regional Medical Center