Assessment of the Uptake of Simulated Viscous Exudate by Adhesive Foam Dressings

Traditional fluid handling data presented to clinicians attempts to demonstrate the ability of dressings to absorb and manage wound fluid in a clinical environment. However, little of the research available takes into account the variation in wound exudate presentation that a dressing would be expected to handle. The industry standard makes use of Solution A (142mmol sodium ions, 2.5mmol calcium ions), which has a viscosity equivalent to water, however wound exudate is often more viscous than this. It is therefore essential to understand how dressings perform with a range of exudate characteristics.