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The Role of Nutrition in Wound Care, Prevention and Healing: From Acute Trauma to Chronic Conditions

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Clinical Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 January 2026 | Viewed by 2798

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
2. National Health and Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence in Wiser Wound Care, Griffith University, Gold Coast 4222, Australia
Interests: knowledge translation; health services research; value-based care; interdisciplinary collaboration; culturally appropriate care; chronic disease prevention and management

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Guest Editor
School of Nursing, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
Interests: prevention and management of lifestyle related diseases with a major focus on obesity; insulin resistance; prediabetes and diabetes nutrition assessment health promotion and education systematic review and meta-analysis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Adequate nutrition and hydration are essential to maintaining skin integrity and accelerating tissue repair and wound healing. Conversely, insufficient nutrient intake, dehydration, and protein–energy malnutrition compromise the wound-healing cascade, worsen wound chronicity, and increase the risk of infection, particularly when chronic wounds induce a long-lasting catabolic and inflammatory state. Therefore, international clinical guidelines have highlighted the significance of timely medical nutrition therapy to provide adequate nutrition support to patients with or at high risk of having chronic wounds (including arterial, venous, diabetic, and pressure ulcers) and surgical patients (to enhance recovery after surgery). However, the role of nutrition and hydration is frequently overlooked, and subsequently, there is a low uptake of these clinical guidelines.

Moreover, systematic reviews have illustrated that the impact of specific nutrients or nutritional status on wound care remains unclear, and which nutritional intervention is effective in wound prevention and management necessitates high-quality research.

Therefore, this Special Issue, entitled “The Role of Nutrition in Wound Care, Prevention and Healing”, aims to host original articles, reviews, or meta-analyses that advance current knowledge regarding the impacts of nutrition on the development and management of chronic wounds and surgical wounds and describe novel nutritional approaches for the prevention and treatment of wounds.

Dr. Ching Shan (Angela) Wan
Dr. Mandy Ho
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • wound care
  • wound healing
  • wound prevention
  • nutrients
  • diet
  • medical nutrition therapy
  • disease-related skincare
  • malnutrition
  • pressure ulcer
  • surgical wound 

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Review

19 pages, 1036 KB  
Review
A Scoping Review of Contextual and Individual Factors for Hospital-Acquired Malnutrition Development in Adult Hospital Inpatients: Guiding a Proactive Preventative Approach
by Vivien Hui In Cheung and Ching Shan Wan
Nutrients 2025, 17(18), 2970; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17182970 - 16 Sep 2025
Viewed by 151
Abstract
Background: Preventing nutritional decline during hospitalisation is imperative in reducing the development of complications such as malnutrition and pressure injuries. However, existing malnutrition screening and assessment tools employ a reactive rather than proactive approach, using predictors to identify inpatients who are already malnourished [...] Read more.
Background: Preventing nutritional decline during hospitalisation is imperative in reducing the development of complications such as malnutrition and pressure injuries. However, existing malnutrition screening and assessment tools employ a reactive rather than proactive approach, using predictors to identify inpatients who are already malnourished instead of those at risk of developing hospital-acquired malnutrition. Therefore, this review aimed to identify key contextual and individual factors contributing to nutritional deterioration and their interrelatedness, and to inform strategies for preventing hospital-acquired malnutrition. Methods: A scoping review of five databases (Medline, CINAHL, Embase, All EBM Reviews and PsycINFO) up to June 2024 was conducted to include English-language studies that reported statistically significant risk factors for changes in nutritional status during hospitalisation. A directed acyclic graphing method was used to visualise the interlinkage between contextual and individual risk factors identified. PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews was followed in reporting. Results: Of 8215 retrieved abstracts, 51 studies were included. Four contextual (ward type; food service satisfaction; medical-related mealtime interruption; nutrition care collaboration) and four individual factors (nutritional status prior admission; hospital length of stay; multimorbidity; disease acuity) were found to significantly predict nutritional decline during hospitalisation and were closely interrelated. Conclusions: More contextual risk factors are modifiable, suggesting a need for organisational strategies to optimise collaborative nutrition care and improve patient satisfaction with hospital food services to promote early nutritional intervention, particularly within the first three days of admission and for inpatients with multimorbidity, high disease acuity, or pre-existing malnourishment. Full article
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20 pages, 334 KB  
Review
Limb Osseointegration—How Important Is the Role of Nutrition in the Process?
by Agnieszka Wnuk-Scardaccione and Megan Shawl Cima
Nutrients 2025, 17(4), 606; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17040606 - 7 Feb 2025
Viewed by 1199
Abstract
Background and aims: Osseointegration (OI) surgery of the appendicular skeleton for repair in amputees is a treatment in which a metal implant is directly fixed to the residual bone and subsequently connected to a prosthetic limb via a transcutaneous connector through a small [...] Read more.
Background and aims: Osseointegration (OI) surgery of the appendicular skeleton for repair in amputees is a treatment in which a metal implant is directly fixed to the residual bone and subsequently connected to a prosthetic limb via a transcutaneous connector through a small incision in the skin. Current treatment does not consider nutritional advice for patients undergoing the OI procedure. However, since the group of patients is very heterogeneous, the results may not be always satisfactory for patients and clinicians. Furthermore, in some individuals, incorrect nutrition and diet habits may lead to complications and rejection of the implant. Methods: We created an extensive narrative evaluation by conducting a methodical search. A comprehensive search was conducted across three major databases: PubMed, Embase, and Scopus. The search was carried out in October 2024 with no time limit specified. The approach involved using specific, pre-defined search terms, which were first applied in PubMed, followed by Embase and Scopus to ensure a broad and diverse range of articles was captured. The search process was refined by considering studies published in high-impact journals, as identified based on impact factors and subject relevance. To ensure consistency and rigor, the selection criteria were applied uniformly across all databases, and irrelevant or incomplete articles were excluded. Results: Based on the specific nature of the OI procedure, it is crucial to adapt patients’ diets and nutrition after the process. To translate the findings from the reviewed literature into practical clinical guidance for osseointegration (OI) procedures, we developed dietary recommendations for both patients and clinicians, presented as proposed dietary plans and summarized in tables. These recommendations were informed by evidence from various studies, highlighting findings that were supported by randomized controlled trials (RCTs) as well as areas where the evidence remains inconclusive or unsupported by RCTs. Major vitamins and micro- and macroelements were distinguished and presented as guidelines for clinicians. Conclusions: OI is currently the most promising therapeutic options for amputees. To promote efficient tissue healing and provide energy for rehabilitation, it is recommended to follow a healthy, well-balanced diet that contains all the essential micronutrients, macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals. We also provide suggestions for future studies. Full article
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