Contemporary Definitions
Several authors allude to the meaning of palliative wound
care, but we found few explicit definitions.27,30,33,34 Alvarez
and associates31 recommended care standards that focus on
“the elimination or reduction of pain, odor, infection, diminished
self image, and the increased social isolation that
chronic wounds cause.”(p8) Chaplin21 proposed that palliative
wound care is a combination of good wound management,
a holistic person-centered care approach, and goals
that are driven by all patients’ needs and priorities, all
aimed at enhancing quality of life. Tippett26 defined palliative
wound care by its goals that include “the relief of pain,
elimination of odor, prevention of infection, maintenance
of function, and, where possible healing.”(p91)
Langemo and Brown28 described relief of suffering and
enhancing quality of life as the focus of palliative wound
care based on integration of holistic palliative care concepts
with chronic wound care strategies. Palliative care
may be a natural evolution of patient management, but it
has not yet been completely utilized or understood.35
According to Tice,38 palliative wound care is listening to the
patient’s goals combined with a primary focus on quality
of life versus healing.
In 2007, Alvarez and associates,32 representing The
Center for Curative and Palliative Wound Care, reported
the definition of palliative wound care as “the incorporation
of strategies that prioritize symptom relief and wound
improvement ahead of wound healing (total closure)” …
that “works in conjunction with curative treatments,” and
“is much more than pain, exudate, or odor management.”(
p1161) The International Palliative Wound Care
Initiative defines palliative wound care as an “evolving
body of knowledge and skills that takes a holistic approach
to relieving suffering and improving quality of life for patients
and family living with chronic wounds, whether the
wound is healable or not.”11(p37) This consensus statement
was the first attempt at broadly defining palliative wound
care. However, this definition lacked concept clarification
and explicitness, rendering it difficult to operationally define
it for use in practice and research.