When to Call a Wound Care Specialist

Signs a wound needs another look

Deciding when to call a wound care specialist comes down to watching which way the wound is heading. A healing wound gets smaller and shallower, drains less and hurts less. Progress can be slow, but it moves in the right direction.

Ask for a clinical review when the wound is heading the wrong way or has stopped changing:

It has not become smaller over several weeks of care
It is getting larger or deeper
It closed and then reopened
A surgical incision has separated or begun to drain
New wounds are appearing nearby

A stalled wound usually has a reason behind it. Pressure, swelling, blood flow, blood sugar, infection, nutrition and some medicines can all slow healing. The guide to why some wounds heal slowly explains these, and our page on non-healing wounds explains how clinicians look for the cause.

Changes to report promptly

Some changes should not wait for the next scheduled visit. Contact the treating clinician the same day if you notice:

Pain that is increasing or feels different
Redness, warmth or swelling that is spreading
Drainage that is heavier, thicker, cloudy or a new color
A new or stronger odor
Tissue in or around the wound that has turned dark or black
Fever, chills or feeling generally unwell

Several of these are common signs of wound infection. You do not have to work out the cause. Describe what you see, when it started and whether it is getting worse.

When it is an emergency

Call 911 for:

Bleeding that does not stop with firm pressure
Trouble breathing, chest pain, confusion or fainting
Redness or swelling that is spreading quickly, especially with severe pain or shaking chills
A limb that suddenly turns cold, pale, blue or numb

Gateway is not an emergency service, and a web form or voicemail is not the place for an urgent problem.

Health conditions that make waiting riskier

The same wound can mean different things in different people. Call earlier if the person with the wound has:

Diabetes, especially with a wound on the foot
Known circulation problems or peripheral artery disease
Numbness or reduced feeling in the feet or legs
Long-standing leg swelling
Limited mobility, or many hours spent in a bed or chair

For someone with diabetes, a small sore on the foot is reason enough to call. Our guide to diabetic foot ulcer warning signs lists what to look for each day.

Practical barriers are a reason to call too

Sometimes the plan is sound on paper but is not working at home. Tell the treating clinician, or tell us, if:

You cannot get to appointments because of transportation or mobility
You left the hospital and no one has followed up on the wound
No one at home is able to do the dressing changes
Several offices are involved and you do not know who is in charge of the wound

For people who have trouble leaving home, mobile wound care brings a partner clinician to the home or facility where visits are available. After a hospital stay, wound follow-up after discharge connects the hospital’s instructions with ongoing care.

Who to call first

If a clinician is already treating the wound, start there. They know the history and can decide whether the plan should change. You can ask directly: “Should a wound care specialist look at this?”

If no one is following the wound, call Gateway at 314-325-0126. Patients, family members and caregivers can call with or without a referral. We connect people in Greater St. Louis and the Metro East with partner clinicians and coordinate the scheduling, records and supplies around the visits. The treating clinician makes all clinical decisions.

You can also send a request for care with your name and phone number. Leave medical details out of the form. Visit availability is confirmed by location and care setting.

What to have ready when you call

A few facts help any office respond well:

Where the wound is and about how long it has been there
What has changed recently, in your own words
Who has treated it so far and what is being used on it now
Health conditions such as diabetes or circulation problems
Where the person lives and whether leaving home is difficult

You do not need all of this to call. Knowing that the wound looks worse is enough to begin.

Common questions

How long should I wait before asking about a wound that is not healing?

If a wound looks the same or worse after a few weeks of care, ask the treating clinician what is holding it back and whether additional wound care would help. Call sooner if you have diabetes, poor circulation or a wound on the foot.

My doctor says to give it more time. Can I still ask for another opinion?

Yes. Asking for another review is common, and it does not mean you distrust your doctor. Say you would like a wound care clinician to look, and ask that records be shared. Our guide to asking for a second opinion on a wound explains how to raise it.

Should I go to urgent care or the emergency room instead?

For the emergency signs listed above, call 911 or go to an emergency room. Urgent care can be reasonable for a new problem when you cannot reach your own clinician. Neither replaces ongoing wound follow-up, so tell the clinician who follows the wound what happened.

I already have home health nurses. Do I still need a wound care specialist?

Possibly. Home health nurses carry out wound orders written by a physician or other ordering clinician. If the wound is not improving under the current orders, ask the nurse and the ordering clinician whether a wound care clinician should assess it. The two roles can work side by side.

General information to help you talk with your own clinician. It is not medical advice, and the treating clinician makes every clinical decision. For a medical emergency, call 911.

Updated October 2026

When to call a wound care specialist for additional help.