Assessment, management and prevention of chronic wounds in the Australian context: a scoping review

Aims To identify the current research on assessment, management and prevention of chronic wounds in Australia and within the global context. Methods Electronic databases, trial registries and professional organisation websites were searched from 1 January 2010 to 31 May 2022. All original human research studies on chronic wounds conducted in Australia and reviews (systematic reviews (SRs), evidence-based guidelines (EBGs), evidence summaries, consensus documents) conducted worldwide were included. Results were tabulated and synthesised in a narrative review. Results Overall, 365 Australian studies and 569 worldwide reviews were included. The designs of Australian studies were mostly cohort (31%) or cross-sectional (20%), with a few randomised trials (10%). Australian studies were mostly concentrated on wound management (43%) or assessment (40%), and only 17% on prevention; this profile was similar for worldwide reviews. The chronic wound types focused on in Australian studies were 43% pressure injuries (PIs), 27% diabetes-related foot ulcers (DFUs), 16% venous leg ulcers (VLUs), 8% mixed chronic wounds, 6% mixed leg/foot ulcers, <1% fungating wounds. Conclusions This review found Australian chronic wound research focused on PIs and DFUs, with few randomised trials (10%), which is likely related to the lack of national competitive funding and difficulties in infrastructure support for adequately powered trials.