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Infusion treatments, whether at home, in a healthcare clinic or other non-hospital setting, require highly trained Specialty Care nursing and pharmacy support. Trust becomes essential for these higher-risk infusion therapies that require ongoing care.

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Nutrition plays an essential role in sustaining quality of life for those who require care for complex conditions. Pentec Health provides personalized clinical nutrition solutions and superior community-based care.

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Managing the multifaceted needs for a variety of conditions requiring clinical nutrition and specialty care therapies, services and products. This includes patients with kidney disease, kidney failure, chronic, non-healing wounds, gastrointestinal conditions, rare metabolic disorders, chronic pain, muscle spasticity or cancer within or that has metastasized in the liver.

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Pentec Health

Pentec Health is a national leader in clinical nutrition and specialty care integrating pharmacy services with clinical excellence to enhance the complex care journey.

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June 1, 2026 / Blogs

Understanding Chronic Wounds and the Role of Nutrition

Most wounds heal within a few weeks. For millions of people, healing slows or stops entirely, turning what should be a temporary injury into a long-term medical challenge.

A wound is considered chronic when it does not progress through the normal stages of healing and remains unhealed after four to twelve weeks despite standard treatment.¹˒²  These non-healing wounds can cause significant pain, limit mobility, and increase the risk of serious complications such as infection, sepsis, or even amputation.2

What causes chronic wounds?

Chronic wounds often develop when underlying health conditions interfere with the body's natural tissue repair process.1,2 Medical professionals typically classify chronic wounds based on their specific underlying cause.2 Common risk factors and causes include:

  • Poor blood circulation caused by peripheral artery disease or venous insufficiency.
  • Uncontrolled diabetes, leading to nerve damage and restricted blood flow to the extremities.
  • Weakened immune systems related to illness or medical treatment.
  • Prolonged pressure on bony areas, resulting in pressure injuries.1 

How do I know if a wound is chronic? 

Recognizing the signs of a non-healing wound early can help you seek appropriate medical care. While time is a primary indicator, specifically, a wound that takes longer than four weeks to heal, there are other physical symptoms to watch for.

If you have a chronic wound, you might notice the following signs:

  • Persistent pain, though some individuals with diabetic nerve damage may not feel pain.
  • Oozing discharge or weeping fluid.
  • An unpleasant or very bad smell.
  • Bleeding from the wound site.
  • Itching around the affected area.
  • Changes to the surrounding skin, such as swelling, redness, or a brownish tint.1 

If you experience these symptoms and your wound is not improving, it is recommended to contact a healthcare provider for a thorough physical evaluation.

How are chronic wounds managed?

Treating a chronic wound requires addressing both the wound and the underlying condition that is preventing healing. Many providers use the TIME principle to guide treatment:  

  • Tissue debridement - removing dead or damaged tissue
  • Infection control - reducing bacteria and preventing complications
  • Moisture balance - maintaining an optimal healing environment
  • Edge management - supporting healthy wound closure.2,3  

Treatment plans may also include specialized wound dressings, compression therapy, antibiotics, or negative pressure wound therapy.1 

Why nutrition matters in wound healing

Nutrition plays a foundational role in wound healing as tissue repair is a process that places significant demands on the body.4 The body needs high amounts of energy and specific building blocks, such as protein and amino acids, to generate new tissue. When the body does not receive enough nutrition, healing can slow dramatically and the risk of complications increases.5 Patients with conditions such as diabetes or vascular disease often experience dietary limitations that make it difficult to absorb the calories and nutrients required for recovery. For a closer look at the connection between nutrition and recovery, explore our previous article on nutrition and wound healing here, as well as our latest research on the parenteral nutrition’s impact on chronic wound healing here.

Medical nutrition therapy for chronic wounds

Targeted nutrition support for chronic wounds gives the body what it needs to rebuild damaged skin and muscle. A registered dietitian for wound care assesses a patient's exact nutritional deficits and builds a personalized dietary plan. This approach may include oral nutrition supplements to supply high levels of specific nutrients. For individuals with severe malabsorption issues, parenteral nutrition delivered intravenously supplies essential nutrients directly into the bloodstream.

How Pentec Health supports patients and providers 

Pentec Health partners with wound care clinics to deliver comprehensive clinical nutrition services. Our dietitians evaluate malnutrition risk factors and develop individualized medical nutrition therapy plans. We supply oral nutrition supplements and parenteral nutrition to support effective tissue repair. We work closely with care teams to monitor progress and adjust nutrition interventions throughout the healing journey.

If you, a loved one, or a patient could benefit from advanced nutrition support, contact Pentec Health to learn about our clinical nutrition services.

  1.  ‘Chronic Wounds: Learn More – What Are the Treatment Options for Chronic Wounds?’ InformedHealth.Org [Internet], Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG), 2025. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov,https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK326436/.
  2. Australia, Healthdirect. Chronic Wounds— Causes, Symptoms and Treatment.Text/html. Healthdirect Australia, 21 Aug.2025, https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/chronic-wounds.
  3. Bowers, Steven, and Eginia Franco. ‘Chronic Wounds: Evaluation and Management’. American Family Physician, vol. 101, no. 3, Feb. 2020, pp. 159–66.
  4. Grada, Ayman, and Tania J. Phillips. ‘Nutrition and Cutaneous Wound Healing’. Clinics in Dermatology, vol. 40, no. 2, 2022, pp. 103–13. PubMed, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clindermatol.2021.10.002.
  5. Stechmiller, Joyce K. ‘Understanding the Role of Nutrition and Wound Healing’. Nutrition in Clinical Practice: Official Publication of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, vol. 25, no. 1, Feb. 2010, pp. 61–68. PubMed, https://doi.org/10.1177/0884533609358997. 

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