Here - EWMA 2013

POSTER PRESENTATIONS
P 262
Risk of peri-wound maceration within the fluid handling
properties of polyurethane foam dressings
Poster: Dressings
Andy Darby 1 , Peter Walker 1 , Andrew Hoggarth 1 , Rachel Malone 1
1 Medtrade Products Ltd (Crewe, United Kingdom).
Introduction: The ability of a dressing to absorb fluid, whilst locking the fluid into the
body of the dressing to avoid maceration is important. Dressings may be applied
vertically as one extreme and horizontally as the other extreme. The use of different
materials within the construction of the polyurethane foam dressings affects the fluid
handling properties and the risk of fluid leakage via migration through the dressing to the
edges.
Test Methods: The fluid handling of the dressings was assessed using a wound model
rig that tested the ability of the dressing to absorb fluid when adhered to a surface in
both a horizontal and vertical position. A dyed saline solution was used to visually track
the wicking of the fluid through the dressing over time until full saturation was reached.
Results: The results show that the dressings differed in the ability to absorb fluid and
distribute the fluid through the absorbent layers. Some show that fluid at the wound
interface of the dressing was minimal when compared to other polyurethane dressings.
In the vertical model it was observed that some dressings allowed fluid leakage to such
an extent that adhesion properties were lost and the dressing naturally fell from the test
model. Other results showed increased fluid at the wound interface suggesting an
increased risk of maceration.
Conclusion: The results clearly demonstrate that the fluid handling/wicking properties
of the various polyurethane wound dressing available differ to large extents that
performance properties can be affected and risk of peri-wound maceration increased.
POSTER: DRESSINGS
P 263
Poster: Dressings
Patients with diabetes mellitus: what Hydration Response
Technology has to offer to serve the specific needs of a growing
population
Karin Bronstering 1 , Alexander Maassen 1
1 Sorbion GmbH & Co. KG (Münster, Germany).
Aim: To investigate the advantages of a self-adhesive dressing based on Hydration
Response Technology (HRT) within diabetes mellitus patients. As neuropathies are
among the most common complications of diabetes mellitus, possible biased
perceptions of pain raised the interest in parameters beyond exudate uptake and
retention, including tissue protection (adhesion to wound), skin tolerance and fixation.
Method: A questionnaire with wound experts from across Germany was conducted,
covering the assessment of different dressing related factors. The first assessment
referred to the experts’ experiences with previously used dressings. The up to four
subsequent assessments referred to their experiences with HRT.
Results: Twenty-eight of the overall 66 wound patients were reported to suffer from
diabetes mellitus. After changing wound treatment to HRT, exudate management and
retention properties were positively appraised in almost all cases (96% and 100%,
respectively). With regards to ‘adhesion to the wound’, for 50% of the previously used
dressings (n=14) ‘no adhesion’ was reported. Upon changing to HRT, ‘no adhesion’ was
reported in almost all cases (93%). Similar results were found for skin tolerance: the
positive appraisal of the HRT dressing (100%) was over twice as high as the positive
appraisal of the previously used dressing (46%). Furthermore, fixation of the HRT
dressing was found to be very reliable (93%).
Conclusion: Experts’ assessments of the dressings’ elementary properties (exudate
management, retention) confirm earlier findings of HRT’s excellent fluid handling.
Additional positive ratings for tissue protection, skin tolerance and fixation suggest that
HRT dressings could serve the specific needs of diabetes mellitus patients.
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