National Wound Care Congress

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Industry trends

Key trends shaping this market and its wider industry.

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Frequently asked

Glossary

1

Wondzorg

The Dutch term for wound care, used throughout the congress programme and in Dutch clinical guidelines. It covers prevention, assessment, treatment, and follow-up of acute and chronic wounds across hospital, home care, and nursing home settings.

2

Decubitus (pressure ulcer)

Localised damage to the skin and underlying tissue, usually over a bony prominence, caused by pressure or pressure combined with shear. Dutch practice emphasises risk assessment, repositioning, pressure-redistributing surfaces, and nutrition.

3

Ulcus cruris (leg ulcer)

A chronic wound on the lower leg, most often caused by venous insufficiency or peripheral arterial disease. Assessment typically includes ankle-brachial index measurement and compression therapy when arterial supply is adequate.

4

Diabetic foot ulcer

A wound on the foot in a person with diabetes, often linked to neuropathy, ischaemia, deformity, or infection. Management combines offloading, vascular assessment, infection control, and multidisciplinary follow-up.

5

Debridement

The removal of dead tissue, debris, or biofilm from a wound bed to support healing. Methods include sharp, mechanical, enzymatic, autolytic, and larval debridement, chosen according to wound status and patient comfort.

6

Exudate

Fluid produced by a wound, made up of serum, cells, and proteins. Assessing exudate volume and character guides dressing choice and helps detect infection or excessive moisture that can damage periwound skin.

7

TIME framework

A structured approach to wound bed preparation: Tissue management, Infection or inflammation control, Moisture balance, and Edge advancement. It is widely used in Dutch wound care education to organise assessment and treatment decisions.

8

Biofilm

A structured community of micro-organisms attached to a surface and protected by a matrix. Biofilm can delay healing and is addressed through debridement, appropriate cleansing, and antimicrobial stewardship rather than routine antibiotics.

9

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT)

A treatment that applies controlled negative pressure to a wound through a sealed dressing and pump. It is used for complex, surgical, or hard-to-heal wounds and requires trained staff, correct dressing selection, and patient monitoring.

10

Compression therapy

Bandages, hosiery, or wrap systems that apply controlled pressure to the leg, mainly for venous leg ulcers and lymphoedema. Correct measurement, application technique, and arterial assessment are essential for safe use.

11

Offloading

Reducing pressure and shear on a wound, especially on the foot, through footwear, orthotics, casts, or cushions. Offloading is a core component of diabetic foot ulcer treatment and pressure ulcer prevention.

12

Tissue viability

A specialist field focused on skin health, wound prevention, and wound healing. Tissue viability nurses often lead pressure ulcer prevention programmes, complex wound assessment, and staff education.

13

Wound bed preparation

The process of creating conditions that support healing by removing barriers such as dead tissue, infection, and imbalance in moisture. It links wound assessment to dressing selection and debridement decisions.

14

Antimicrobial stewardship

The coordinated effort to use antiseptics and antibiotics only when needed, at the right dose and duration. In wound care it includes avoiding routine antimicrobial dressings for clean, healing wounds and recognising biofilm or infection correctly.

15

Periwound skin

The skin immediately surrounding a wound. Protection from exudate, adhesive trauma, and maceration is important because damaged periwound skin can enlarge the wound and increase pain.

16

Maceration

Overhydration and softening of the skin caused by prolonged exposure to moisture, often from wound exudate. It appears white and wrinkled and is managed by moisture-balancing dressings and skin barriers.

17

Granulation tissue

New connective tissue and tiny blood vessels that form in a healing wound bed. Healthy granulation is red or pink and uneven; excessive or friable tissue may need assessment for infection or pressure.

18

Epithelialisation

The final stage of wound closure in which new epidermal cells migrate across the wound surface. It can be delayed by dryness, infection, maceration, or repeated trauma from dressings.

19

Ankle-brachial index (ABI)

A non-invasive test comparing blood pressure at the ankle with the arm to detect peripheral arterial disease. ABI is important before compression therapy and in the assessment of leg and foot ulcers.

20

MDO (multidisciplinair overleg)

A Dutch term for a multidisciplinary team meeting. In wound care, an MDO may bring together nurses, physicians, podiatrists, and allied professionals to agree on complex treatment plans.

21

Verpleegkundig specialist

A Dutch nurse specialist with advanced clinical training, often involved in wound care, chronic disease management, and independent prescribing or treatment decisions within scope of practice.

22

Stoma care

Care of a surgically created opening on the abdomen for waste elimination, including pouch selection, skin protection, and patient education. Peristomal skin problems are a common focus at Dutch wound and stoma meetings.