The overlooked epidemic: the importance of treating ‘other’ open wounds in wound medicine

In the field of wound medicine and surgery significant attention is devoted to well-defined hard-to-heal (chronic) wounds, such as diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), venous leg ulcers (VLUs) and pressure ulcers (PUs). These conditions dominate research, clinical guidelines and resource allocation, due to their clear aetiologies and high prevalence among specific patient populations. However, a substantial category of wounds—often labelled as ‘other’ open wounds under International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 codes—remain underappreciated and frequently excluded from analyses. These include non-specific open wounds without a particular aetiology, as well as surgical and trauma wounds that persist in outpatient settings without evolving into more specialised diagnoses. This opinion piece—building on the reimbursement framework proposed by Tettelbach et al.—argues that neglecting these ‘other’ wounds perpetuates inefficiencies in healthcare, exacerbates patient suffering and inflates economic burdens. By integrating comprehensive treatment strategies for all open wounds, regardless of aetiology, we can improve patient outcomes, reduce costs and advance equitable wound care interventions.