Keywords: infection, DACC, acute wounds, chronic wounds

In the past decade there has been a great deal of focus on the issues surrounding wound infection and its treatment. The impact of infection on patients, relatives and staff should not be underestimated, and ensuring the most appropriate management strategy is essential. Both in acute and chronic wounds, infection can be difficult to diagnose and management is not always straightforward. Symptoms of infection include pain, swelling, increased exudate levels, odour and general malaise, which can be a cause of anxiety for patients. In addition, there is the potential for resistant organisms growing within the wound (Percival and Cutting, 2009).