The Challenge
Chronic and cavity wounds can be challenging to treat, painful, and worrying for patients. Healing requires a moist, clean wound bed. The primary dressing must conform, absorb excess exudate, and prevent pooling, while the secondary dressing secures it, aids exudate transfer, and supports overall wound management1.
1 Tickle J. Addressing challenges of cavity wounds in clinical practice. Wound Care Today. 2020. Available from: https://www.woundcare-today.com/journal-content-pages/addressing-challenges-cavity-wounds-clinical-practice.
The Solution
Mepilex® Border Comfort
Mepilex® Border Comfort has been designed to work for longer and to adapt to a patient’s shape and movement. The improved features and benefits include:
• Better stay on ability due to Flex Technology2
• Easy tracking of exudate with Exudate Progress Monitor3
• Improved fluid handling capacity
• Bacteria Trapping4
Exufiber®
Exufiber® with Hydrolock® technology is the next generation of gelling fibres. Exufiber® aims to improve the patient’s outcomes and to create an optimal wound healing environment. The key features and benefits include:
- Reduced risk of pooling, leakage and maceration5,6
- Capillary action transfers exudate into secondary dressing7,8
- Supporting a clean wound bed with one-piece removal5
- More comfortable for the patient9
Clinical Challenge
To promote wound healing, control infection and manage wound exudation whilst reducing patient pain and discomfort.
Patient and Wound History
- 65 -year-old male
- Medical history of hypertension, artrial fibrillation, chronic venous insufficiency (varicose veins, ankle flare, hemosiderin staining); ankle brachial pressure index (ABPI) = 0.89
- Leg ulcer located on the shin of the left leg: present for 17 months.
- Previous treatment: Initially, patient self-care using pharmacy bought plaster and adhesive island dressing; prior to the study, the GP prescribed a small pad with adhesive tape.
Intervention and Treatment Regime
- Exufiber® Ag+ (intervention), a gelling fibre dressing with silver was chosen for its antimicrobial action concomitant with its capacity to manage wound extrudate. Mepilex® Border Comfort (intervention), foam dressing selected for conformability and exudate management.
- Mechanical wound debridement (curette or debridement pad) performed at dressing change until day 18; the wound was cleansed using tap water at all dressing changes.
- The wound was dressed with Exufiber® Ag+ (primary dressing) and Mepilex® Border Comfort (secondary dressing). After 26 days, Exufiber® Ag+ was discontinued.
- Dressing change was performed twice weekly in combination with a hosiery kit (40mmHg).
The use of Exufiber® Ag+ and Mepilex® Border Comfort successfully ‘kick-started’ the healing process of a chronic leg ulcer and helped control wound infection leading to an improvement in the patient’s quality of life.
The patient felt supported and confident that the wound would heal once the correct products and dressings were used, and said it felt great to get back to normality after a period of restricted mobility.Alison Schofield
Independent Tissue Viability Nurse,
Goole, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Learn more about the perfect combination products
Mepilex Border Comfort
Multipurpose all-in-one foam dressing. Our next generation of flexible dressings are designed to stay on and uniquely conform; giving time back to nurses, cost savings back to managers and quality of life back to patients .
Exufiber
Unlike more traditional gelling fibres, Exufiber® is a non-woven PVA dressing. It transforms into a gel upon contact with exudate, helping it to softly conform to the wound bed. Exufiber can be used to treat a wide range of medium to highly exuding wounds, including cavity wounds.
Exufiber Ag+
Gelling fibre dressing with rapid antimicrobial action for highly exuding wounds
References
1. Tickle J. Addressing challenges of cavity wounds in clinical practice. Wound Care Today. 2020. Available from: https://www.woundcare-today.com/journal-content-pages/addressing-chal-lenges-cavity-wounds-clinical-practice. 2. Mölnlycke Health Care. Mepilex® Border Flex – Conformability Report no. PD-528870. Data on file. 3. Mölnlycke Health Care. Mepilex® Border Flex – Estimate of spreading area using dot pattern on backing film. Report no. PD-528872. Data on file. 4. Mölnlycke Health Care. Mepilex® Border Flex-Bacteria encapsulation. Report no. PD-537072. Data on file. 5. Chadwick P, McCardle J. Open, non-comparative, multicenter post clinical study of the performance and safety of a gelling fibre wound dressing on diabetic foot ulcers. Journal of Wound Care. 2016; 25(4):290-300. 6. Smet S, Beele H, Saine L et al. B. Open, non-comparative, multi-centre post market clinical follow-up investigation to evaluate performance and safety on pressure ulcers when using a gelling fibre dressing as intended. Poster Presentation at European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel Conference, Ghent, Belgium. 2015. 7. Mölnlycke Health Care. Data on file. 2018. 8. Mölnlycke Health Care. Data on file. 2020. 9. Davies P, McCarty S. An in-use product evaluation of a gelling fibre dressing in wound management. E-poster presentation at Wounds UK Conference, Harrogate, United Kingdom. 2017.
