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EQUINE WOUND MANAGEMENT

Wound Dressings and Bandages

Dressings play an important role in healing and therefore it is not surprising that selection of an inappropri-

ate dressing for a given phase of healing can negatively impact the rate of repair. For example, the continued
use of a debridement dressing during the repair phase can markedly delay healing. See Chapter 3 for more
information regarding the effects of wound dressings on the various stages of healing.

Bandages applied too tightly or loosely can also exert a negative impact on healing. While tight bandages

can result in a reduction of wound perfusion, loose bandages may allow too much movement at the wound
site, resulting in disruption. Reduction in wound perfusion is known to delay healing and make the wound
more susceptible to infection.

1,27

Too much movement at the wound site results in increased infl ammation and

causes a delay in wound healing. For more information regarding the appropriate application of bandages, see
Chapter 16.

Neoplastic Transformation

Neoplastic transformation at a wound site, although uncommon, should be considered in any non-healing

chronic granulating wound. Both sarcoid and squamous cell carcinoma transformation have been reported fol-
lowing wounding in horses.

19,50,51

It appears the transformation can occur at any wound site on the body. While

sarcoid transformation is more likely to occur in a horse with a sarcoid at another site on its body, no such rela-
tionship has been established for squamous cell transformation. A typical history for neoplastic transformation
includes failure of a granulating wound to heal following repeated attempts to debride the granulation tissue
(Figure 2.8) or dehiscence of a sutured wound in the absence of an identifi able cause. See Chapter 14 for more
information regarding sarcoid transformation.

Figure 2.8. Example of a wound that would not heal following repeated
attempts to excise the granulation tissue. Histological examination of the
tissue revealed a squamous cell carcinoma.