Dressings

By Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine Journal Review Club Hard-to-heal wounds, such as diabetic foot ulcers, pressure injuries, and venous leg ulcers, comprise a significant portion of health care visits, and these wounds place a physical and economic burden on many patients. These hard-to-heal wounds are defined as wounds with stagnant or delayed stages of healing that fail to resolve within eight weeks. Finding ways to accelerate this healing process is of great importance because it can reduce the physical and economic burden on patients, as well as decreasing costs for health care facilities. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are endopeptidases, which are involved in many healing processes, including the cell signaling processes, migration processes, angiogenesis, and the degradation of extracellular proteins. These mechanisms are necessary for the wound healing process by breaking down damaged tissue. In the late stages of healing, when breaking down of tissue is no longer necessary, tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases down-regulate MMPs. In hard-to-heal wounds, this process is thrown off balance, with delays in the subsequent stages of healing. In an attempt to restore this balance, MMPs have been investigated for their role in wound healing through MMP-inhibiting wound dressings. There have been a number of consequential reviews done using current market wound dressings, such as oxidized regenerated cellulose/collagen and Technology Lipido-Colloid with nano-oligosaccharide factor (TLC-NOSF).

By Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine Journal Review Club Chronic diabetic foot ulcers affect approximately 13% of the United States population. Chronic diabetic foot ulcers, or DFU, are defined by the authors as, “nonhealing ulcers of the foot lasting more than 3 months’ duration in patients with diabetes”. It is critical to treat DFUs effectively and timely, as ulcers may progress to the point of requiring an amputation. Patients suffering from a DFU may have an amputation rate of 21.5% to 28.4%.

By Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine Journal Review Club Editor's note: This post is part of the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine (TUSPM) journal review club blog series. In each blog post, a TUSPM student will review a journal article relevant to wound management and related topics and provide their evaluation of the clinical research therein.

Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine Journal Review Club Article Title: Efficacy of Cadexomer Iodine in the Treatment of Chronic Ulcers: A Randomized, Multicenter, Controlled Trial Authors: Radhakkrishnan R, Kethavath SN, Sangavarapu SM, Kanjarla P, Dexadine Study Group Journal: Wounds. 2019;31(3):85-90 Reviewed by: Elizabeth Connolly, class of 2021, Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine

By Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine Journal Review Club Editor's note: This post is part of the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine (TUSPM) journal review club blog series. In each blog post, a TUSPM student will review a journal article relevant to wound management and related topics and provide their evaluation of the clinical research therein.

Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine Journal Review Club Article Title: Using the Entropic Wound Cycle as the Basic for Making Effective Treatment Choices Authors: Mcguire, J, Sebag JA, Solnik, J Journal: WoundSource Reviewed by: Cindy H. Duong, class of 2021, Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine

By Hy-Tape International, Inc. Secondary dressings can be an effective tool to protect the primary dressing or provide additional functionality beyond the primary dressing. Hydrocolloid or foam dressings can provide protection for the wound area and manage excess exudate. However, they can also significantly add to the cost and time of wound care. This makes it critical that health care professionals implement effective practices to maximize the wear time of secondary dressings.

By Laurie Swezey RN, BSN, CWOCN, CWS, FACCWS We've all experienced difficulty in getting dressings to stay on for as long as we need them to, especially when there are many commercial dressings that could (and should) remain in place for several days before they require changing.