If your child has a wound that’s large, deep, complicated or healing slowly, our pediatric wound care specialists at Nemours can help. Our Wound Care Clinic is staffed by surgeons from general surgery, plastic surgery and orthopedic surgery, along with highly trained wound care nurses and other health care professionals. Together, we’re dedicated to providing compassionate, focused wound care for kids.

Learn More About Wound Healing and Care 

We provide customized care for each child and each type of wound like:

• abscesses (red, swollen, infected bumps on the skin that are filled with pus)
• burns (minor first- and second-degree skin wounds from heat, chemical or electrical burns)
• gastrostomy tube site problems (when the skin breaks down around a gastrostomy  tube, which is placed through the skin of the abdomen directly into the stomach to feed kids who can’t get enough nutrition by mouth)
• pilonidal cysts (abnormal sacs of embedded hair and skin debris, usually located near the tailbone, above the crease of the buttocks)
• pressure sores (open skin wounds from long periods of inactivity like sitting in a wheelchair or lying in a bed, or from medical devices like splints and casts that press against the skin) 
• surgical wounds (from surgery cuts) 
• trauma wounds (caused by accidents, bites, gun shots, etc.)

Whether we see your child as an inpatient in the hospital or at outpatient appointments, our Wound Care Clinic team works together to prevent infection, promote healing, and reduce pain and scarring. Our wound care usually involves regularly performing these steps:

• irrigation — Wounds heal better when they stay moist. Irrigation is the steady flow of a solution (usually saline or salt water) on the wound to hydrate it and remove debris.
• cleaning — Using moistened gauze pads, a nurse will gently and carefully remove dried blood, dead skin and any other debris from the wound.
• dressing — Wounds that can be stitched closed might just require routine cleansing and fresh bandages. Other, deeper wounds might heal better if they’re left open and “packed” (when gauze is applied inside an unstitched wound to help it heal from the inside out). We always try to choose the gentlest, most effective dressing so as not to cause additional pain on removal.

Depending on the type of wound, kids may need antibiotics to prevent infection and/or pain medications if the wound is severe.

Wound care requires special considerations when it comes to kids. Although children usually heal faster than adults, their skin is also usually more sensitive. At a pediatric-focused wound care center like ours, we understand the issues that only affect children. We’re also especially qualified to keep your child comfortable and as calm as possible during treatment. And we work with parents and caregivers to make sure you’re comfortable with any necessary care you may have to give at home.

Regional Wound Care Clinic Highlights