ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Acta Vulnologica 2007 March;5(1):7-12

Copyright © 2007 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Management of fluids under compression bandages: evolution of polyuretane foam dressings

Nebbioso G. ¹, Petrella F. ²

¹ Azienda Sanitaria Napoli 1 2 Azienda Sanitaria Napoli 5

The elastic bandage represents the gold standard in the therapy of venous leg ulcers. It is however true, that the fluid which is collected under of the elastic bandage interferes with the tissue repair process, thereby causing: maceration, pain and burning, increase of medications turnover, higher risk of bacterial contamination, delay of healing and increase of sanitary costs. The application of polyurethane foam dressings under elastic compression, thanks to their ability to absorb and to retain exudates, is able to avoid the most of the aforesaid disadvantages. Better said, medication changes interval are doubled with a clean cost reduction, both in terms of dressing materials and sanitary staff costs. In some cases polyurethane foams provoke dessication of the wound bed and compression of the wound edges resulting in a “stamp” effect, with consequent slowing down or stop of the repair process. A new polyure-thane foam (New Allevyn) thanks to its structural and morphologic characteristics seems to be able to obviate such inconveniences. In our study performed in a group of leg ulcer patients, New Allevyn has confirmed its ability to manage exudate and at the same time guarantee a correct moist wound bed, consistently reducing the “stamp effect” on perilesional skin.