Should A Wound On The Lower That Is Caused By

Should a wound on the lower that is caused by faulty valves in veins and is infected with staph be covered or left open to the air. My mother has a such a wound. The wound care nurse she saw advised leaving it open to the air and prescribed cream to put on the wound. Now the vascular dr. has recommended a boot (some kind of compression stocking infused with zinc) that he wants her to wear night and day for a week (never removing it during that time), at which point he advises she should go back to the wound care person to have it checked. Once the wound is healed (and he has no idea how long that will take) he want to do some kind of surgery which cauterizes the vein with the faulty valve. Is it OK for the wound to receive no air for that long??