Dressing selections can be overwhelming for clinicians and providers in health care. There are now well over 6,000 wound care products on the market. Ideally, there would be a multifunctional smart dressing that could “do it all” readily available in all settings. Unfortunately, we as health care providers know, that definitely isn’t the case.
Dressing category education plays a vital role in wound management. Knowing the functionality and appropriateness of the dressing is key in enhancing the wound healing process. As wound care clinicians, we want to be in a mindset of looking at our whole patient. However, let’s not forget the Wound Care Basics 101: wound bed preparation, monitoring, patient compliance, appropriateness of dressing, and addressing underlying factors or causes.
Biofilm formation is also a culprit for impeding wound healing. Most, if not all, ulcers develop a biofilm over time. It is reported 60% to 90% of chronic wounds contain a biofilm. Therefore, selecting the appropriate dressing for effectiveness is imperative … read more