Assessing clinical efficacy of a hydrocolloid/alginate dressing on full-thickness pressure ulcers.

An absorbent hydrocolloid/alginate spiral dressing and a hydrocolloid secondary dressing were used in the management of 30 patients with 30 exuding State III and IV pressure ulcers. After a mean treatment time of 12.9 days (SD 6.5), all wounds had a significant increase in the amount of granulation tissue/epithelium and a decrease in the amount of devitalized tissue (p < 0.05). Wounds that underwent wide surgical debridement prior to the study were covered with 15 percent fibrin slough at study entry versus 39 percent for non-debrided wounds (p < 0.05). The dressing combination facilitated wound contraction and removal of fibrin slough in ulcers that were surgically debrided prior to the study. Ulcers which had not been surgically debrided expanded as autolytic debridement reduced the amount of fibrin slough/necrotic tissue present at the wound bed (Mean: 17.6 percent, p < 0.05). The absorbent spiral dressing helped manage exudate, was easy to use and comfortable for the patients. The average time between dressing changes in these exuding wounds was 1.56 days (SD = 0.95). Use of air-fluidized bed or mattress was found to significantly reduce wear time of the dressing (p < 0.01). Further studies are needed to confirm short-term, and evaluate long-term effects of this dressing combination on healing and debridement.