Attention must be paid to the patient’s nutrition during wound treatment.

Nutrition has a significant influence on wound healing. Because defect closure can only occur if the body is sufficiently supplied with nutrients.

In the condition of malnutrition the build-up of proteins for the production of hormones, enzymes and growth factors as well as the build-up of tissue cells is severely reduced so that normal wound healing under these circumstances is not possible.

Malnutrition, as it is often observed in geriatric patients, signifies an undersupply of one or several bio-chemically defined nutrient groups or nutrition parameters:

• Energy (calories),
• proteins (albumin, transferrin etc.),
• essential fatty acids (cholesterol, triglycerides etc.),
• vitamins and
• minerals.

The following nutrient deficits sorted according to prevalence have been reported: the most frequent is zinc deficiency (> 60 %), followed by albumin (60 %), iron (60 %), calcium, vitamin E, vitamin B6, folic acid and vitamin C deficiencies. An undersupply of vitamin C occurs in 13 % and a folic acid deficit in 17 % of the cases.

Today malnutrition is also evaluated as a serious, secondary risk factor for the occurrence of decubitus. Edema formation occurs in the tissue due to protein deficiency, which severely impairs blood circulation and metabolism in the skin. If pressure is additionally exerted on the skin, tissue damage can develop very fast.