A
wound is a temporary break in the continuity of the protective skin barrier. Wound healing is central in maintaining the body's normal homeostatic mechanism, and open
wounds raise the risk of microbial
infection and
amputation. A successful wound healing event is achieved through a series of evolutionarily conserved biochemical pathways orchestrated by various
cytokines,
growth factors, and immune cells. Chronic
wounds are generally
oxygen-deficient, and
wound hypoxia impairs the wound healing process. Therefore, the use of external
oxygen may improve
wound health by reducing
wound hypoxia, promoting tissue regeneration and granulation tissue formation, reducing anaerobic bacteria colonization, and promoting the growth of beneficial aerobic bacteria. Relevant data were searched and gathered from scientific databases, including PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar using relevant keywords, such as "Chronic
Wounds", "Topical
Oxygen Therapy", "Inflammatory Markers/
Lactate/
Matrix Metalloproteinase", "
Collagen", and "Wound Healing". Relevant articles were shortlisted and used in the present study. Chronic
wounds show higher expression of pro-inflammatory mediators, such as
C-reactive protein, and higher levels of tissue-degrading
matrix metalloproteinases. In addition, chronic
wounds are generally
oxygen-deficient, and
wound hypoxia is directly associated with
wound deterioration. Several microbial, immunological, and
biochemical markers show a direct association with the
oxygen availability in the
wound. Therefore, a detailed understanding of these microbial, immunological, and
biochemical markers will certainly help clinicians understand the interplay between various factors and topical
oxygen therapy and may improve patient outcomes.