Stress and Impaired Wound Healing

Course Description

Moderator/Speaker: Robert Diegelmann, PhD
Speaker: Valentina Lucas, PhD, RN, ANP-BC

Studies have shown that psychological stress can delay wound healing in humans by as much as 40%. The underlying mechanism is a dysregulation of the immune system, resulting in increased glucocorticoids and reduced expression of critical proinflammatory cytokines. In addition to the direct inhibitory effects of stress, there are many secondary factors such as
sleep deprivation, nutritional deficiencies, alcohol and drug abuse that contribute to a delayed healing response. This session will explore the spectrum of stress-induced impaired wound healing mechanisms and identify clinical strategies to restore normal wound healing.