Beneficial and deleterious bacterial-host interactions in chronic wound pathophysiology

Chronic wounds represent a major health and financial burden. Although incredible advancements in wound management have been made in the last decade, the incidences of chronic wounds continue to increase due to a rise in biofilm-associated infections. The presence of biofilm causes chronic inflammation, leading to impaired healing rates and host mortality. This review describes the deleterious bacterial–host interactions, as well as the beneficial role of pH and probiotics in chronic wound infections.