New Surfactant-based Dressing Product to Improve Wound Closure Rates of Nonhealing Wounds: A European Multicenter Study Including 1036 Patients.

Objective: A new surfactant-based biomaterial containing the antimicrobial 1% silver sulfadiazine (SSD) was developed at the University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA) to improve outcomes for nonhealing wounds. This study's objective was to clinically test the wound care outcomes of the new surfactant-based antimicrobial wound dressing (SAWD) in a multicenter trial.

Methods And Materials: This cohort study enrolled 1036 patients with any nonhealing wound of > 3 months duration not responding to standard-of-care treatments from 10 wound care centers in 7 European countries.

A vapour-permeable film dressing used on superficial wounds.

Films are an extremely versatile dressing type that can be effectively used in the treatment of many superficial wounds, such as skin grafts, surgical wounds and superficial burns; they provide an optimal moist environment to promote healing, act as a barrier to bacteria, and afford protection from urine and faecal contamination. Unfortunately, many film dressings are difficult to handle and use traditional adhesives, which can cause trauma to the wound and surrounding skin, as well as increased wound pain at dressing removal. Mepitel® Film is a new, easy-to-use wound dressing designed with Safetac® technology that helps to minimise dressing-related trauma and pain and assist undisturbed wound healing.

Knowledge deficits and information-seeking behavior in leg ulcer patients: an exploratory qualitative study.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore knowledge deficits and underlying processes in information-seeking behavior in patients with leg ulcers.

Method: A qualitative approach based on grounded theory methods with constant comparison was used. Semistructured interviews were held with 15 patients with venous leg ulcers in community care settings and wound care clinics between October 2008 and June 2009.

A prospective randomised open label study to evaluate the potential of a new silver alginate/carboxymethylcellulose antimicrobial wound dressing to promote wound healing.

The aim of this study was to observe both the clinical signs and symptoms of wounds at risk of infection, that is critically colonised (biofilm infected) and antimicrobial-performance of an ionic silver alginate/carboxymethylcellulose (SACMC) dressing, in comparison with a non silver calcium alginate fibre (AF) dressing, on chronic venous leg and pressure ulcers. Thirty-six patients with venous or pressure ulcers, considered clinically to be critically colonised (biofilm infected), were randomly chosen to receive either an SACMC dressing or a non silver calcium AF dressing. The efficacy of each wound dressing was evaluated over a 4-week period.

Use of wound dressings with soft silicone adhesive technology.

Aim: To evaluate how pain, during and in-between dressing changes, is affected by the introduction of Mepilex Border Lite, a wound dressing manufactured by Mölnlycke Health Care using Safetac soft silicone adhesive technology, to the treatment of different types of paediatric wounds/skin injuries.

Methods: Wounds/skin injuries that met the criteria for inclusion in the study were dressed with Mepilex Border Lite. Patients were followed for six weeks or until their wounds/skin injuries had healed, whichever occurred earlier.

The management of skin tears.

During the ageing process the layers of the skin start to atrophy; the epidermis becomes thin and fragile, and dermal thickness decreases by 20 per cent (White et al, 1994). This makes skin tears a common problem among older people.