Do Chronic Diseases Prevent Wound Healing? The Case of Family Medicine Specialty Management

Year 2026, Issue: Advanced Online Publication, 109 - 115

Merve Nur Gültekin , Aslıhan Kaya Ünal , Melike Karabulut Özer , Bestegül Çoruh Akyol , Özgür Enginyurt

https://doi.org/10.19127/mbsjohs.1640527

Abstract

Chronic diseases are long-term health problems that affect millions of people worldwide and reduce the quality of life. These diseases can also negatively impact the wound-healing process. We present the wound healing process of a 51-year-old female patient with multiple chronic diseases and risk factors (morbid obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary artery disease), who applied to the family medicine clinic with a wound on the sole of her left foot. The patient was treated with systemic antibiotics, VAC therapy, silver dressings, and a multidisciplinary care approach. Vascular evaluation and other systemic risk factors were managed. The wound was successfully healed without surgical intervention over an eight-month period. Chronic diseases complicate wound healing by affecting physiological processes. Primary care physicians play a crucial role in managing these conditions and facilitating wound healing through a holistic, multidisciplinary approach.

Keywords

Family Medicine , Preventive Medicine , Chronic Diseases , Obesity , Wound Care

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