Do all foam dressings have the same efficacy in the treatment of chronic wounds?

Janice Bianchi is a Medical Education Specialist, Glasgow: David Gray is a Clinical Nurse Specialist; John Timmons is a Tissue Viability Nurse both at the Department of Tissue Viability, NHS Grampian, Aberdeen; Sylvie Meaume is Dermatologist-Geriatrician, Head of Wound Healing Unit, Geriatric Department, APHP Rothschild Hospital, Paris, France The challenge of chronic wounds remains significant both in terms of clinical management, impact on patients and cost to the NHS. Foam dressings are largely used in the treatment of chronic wounds and manufacturers claim to have different product characteristics. However, is there any foam which is better than another in terms of results? This paper analyses some of the studies which have compared the efficacy of different foam dressings in chronic wounds to see if there is any real difference.