Pressure sore management: efficacy of a moisture reactive occlusive dressing.

Twenty-five pressure sores occurring in a total of 21 patients were evaluated for their response to an adhesive hydrocolloid occlusive dressing (HCD). All ulcers had been treated previously. Response to the occlusive dressing was compared with previous clinical response. Due to the discharge or transfer of patients, evaluation of HCD therapy was usually made after a relatively short period of treatment, average treatment length being 27 +/- 3 days. Fourteen of the 25 decubitus ulcers (56%) demonstrated marked improvement or complete healing with HCD therapy. In contrast, only two of the 25 ulcers (8%) had demonstrated marked improvement under previous treatment. Of 16 ulcers which had failed to improve previously, seven (44%) had either healed or showed marked improvement with the use of the occlusive dressing. For ulcers which had healed, average healing time with HCD was 37 +/- 7 days.