Do all patients with wounds require zinc supplementation?

• A. Yes, all patients with wounds require zinc supplementation.
• B. No; not all patients with wounds require zinc supplementation.
• C. Only wounds from thermal injury require zinc supplementation.
• D. Zinc supplementation is always contraindicated in wounds.

Answer: (B)

Zinc is important for wound healing, but supplementation is not automatically required for every patient with a wound. The best approach is to reserve zinc supplements for those who are zinc deficient or at high risk of deficiency—such as people with malnutrition, limited dietary intake, malabsorption, chronic wounds, alcoholism, or advanced age. In patients with adequate zinc status, adding more zinc does not necessarily speed healing and can even cause harm, including copper deficiency, immune imbalance, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Because zinc status is hard to assess reliably (serum zinc can be influenced by inflammation), routine supplementation for all wounds isn’t warranted. So the correct stance is that not all patients with wounds require zinc supplementation; decisions should be based on nutritional assessment and risk factors.