A Pilot Retrospective Study to Evaluate Two Multi-Layer Foam Dressings for the Management of Moderately Exudative Pressure Injuries.

Prevention and treatment of pressure injuries (PI) is a standard benchmark for quality of care, performance, risk reduction, and patient safety. Foam dressings are designed to wick away a large volume of exudate with minimal lateral movement to prevent periwound skin maceration; this renders foam dressings a popular choice for the treatment of chronic wounds with high to moderate amounts of exudate. In addition, multi-layer foam dressings may have added benefits to alleviate pressure and minimize shear as the dressing materials slide against each other. The purpose of this retrospective pilot study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of two different multi-layer foam dressings (Optifoam® Gentle, Medline Industries, Inc. Northfield, Illinois; Mepilex® Border, Mölnlycke Health Care, Gothenburg, Sweden) for the management of pressure injuries that produce a moderate amount of exudate. A total of 15 patients and 25 wound treatments were reviewed over a period of 12 months in the study. The difference in the mean surface areas at baseline between the two dressings was not statistically significant (p=.38). All wounds improved over time. There was no difference in healing rate (cm2/day) for wounds that were treated with the Mepilex® Border dressing (M=.12 cm2/day, SD=.19) compared to the Optifoam® Gentle dressing (M=.18 cm2/day; SD=.25); t (23)= .85, p=.40. Findings of this study suggest similar clinical performance between the two foam dressings. Foam dressings were used for the management of several shallow stage 3 and 4 PIs in place of packing. Results of this study challenge the commonly accepted notion that wounds with depth should always be packed with dressing material.