{"id":28732,"date":"2026-10-10T00:27:05","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T22:27:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.badania-medyczne.pl\/?p=28732"},"modified":"2026-10-20T12:42:05","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T10:42:05","slug":"tests-before-your-first-wound-care-clinic-appointment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.badania-medyczne.pl\/en\/tests-before-your-first-wound-care-clinic-appointment\/","title":{"rendered":"Tests before your wound care clinic appointment: what to do beforehand so your first visit can establish a diagnosis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your first wound care clinic appointment is an initial assessment: the doctor looks for the reason why your wound is not healing, rather than simply changing the dressing. If you bring a complete set of results, a diagnosis and treatment plan can be established at the first appointment, rather than after two weeks of waiting for tests. Below is a list of the test results that Poradnia Leczenia Ran ETER-MED (ETER-MED Wound Care Clinic) in Straszyn asks you to bring to your first appointment, with an explanation of what each test tells us about the wound.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Why a chronic wound needs tests, not just a dressing<\/h2>\n

A wound that has not closed within 14 days of an injury or operation, or an ulcer that takes longer than 6 weeks to heal, is almost never just a skin problem. Most often, something that cannot be seen from the outside is preventing healing: reduced blood supply to the limb, venous stasis, poorly controlled diabetes, iron or protein deficiency, or a chronic deep tissue infection. This is why the first step at the clinic is to assess blood supply, infection and coexisting conditions. Much of this assessment relies on blood tests that you can have beforehand, without a referral, at any collection point.<\/p>\n

Blood tests before your initial assessment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Test<\/th>\nWhat it shows when a wound is slow to heal<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Full blood count with differential<\/td>\nAnaemia (less oxygen reaches the wound), leukocytosis associated with infection, and platelet levels before any potential procedure.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
CRP and ESR<\/td>\nInflammation; CRP rises quickly during an infection, while ESR rises more slowly and remains elevated for longer.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Procalcitonin<\/td>\nDistinguishes a bacterial infection requiring antibiotics from \u201cordinary\u201d wound inflammation.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Glucose and HbA1c<\/td>\nEstablished or undiagnosed diabetes; HbA1c shows average blood glucose over the last 3 months, and a high level is one of the main reasons for a wound failing to heal.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Creatinine, electrolytes<\/td>\nKidney function (important when choosing antibiotics and other medicines), and abnormal sodium and potassium levels.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Uric acid<\/td>\nGout can mimic inflammation around a joint and wound.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Iron and ferritin<\/td>\nIron stores; deficiency inhibits tissue repair, even when haemoglobin is still within the normal range.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
25-hydroxyvitamin D (25 OH) – vitamin D test<\/td>\nDeficiency weakens immunity and impairs healing; in Poland, it is the norm in autumn and winter.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

All these tests can be carried out from a single blood draw, in the morning, on an empty stomach (8\u201312 hours without food; water is allowed). You can buy them individually or as a package from the BadamySie.pl shop: full blood count<\/a>, CRP<\/a>, procalcitonin<\/a>, HbA1c<\/a>, creatinine<\/a>, ferritin<\/a>, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25 OH)<\/a>. Your results are available online within 1\u20132 working days; print them out or show them on your phone. The result report is issued in Polish.<\/p>\n

Doppler ultrasound of the arteries in the lower limbs<\/h2>\n

If you have a wound on your foot or lower leg, the clinic asks you to bring a Doppler ultrasound report for the arteries in your lower limbs, from a scan performed no more than 6 months before your appointment. This examination determines whether the wound is ischaemic: without restoring the blood supply, no dressing will heal it, and compression (a cornerstone of treatment for venous ulcers) is then contraindicated. Doppler scans are performed by ultrasound departments, including those at ETER-MED facilities in Gda\u0144sk (Jask\u00f3\u0142cza, G\u00f3rskiego) and in Straszyn; no preparation is needed.<\/p>\n

What else to bring to your appointment<\/h2>\n