Our “Complete Guide to leg ulcers” focuses primarily on hard-to-heal venous leg ulcers. Learn more about treatment measures, healing phases, cleaning, and suitable dressings, which can influence and promote the long-term healing process.
This article explores how chronic venous leg ulcers affect patients beyond the physical—highlighting the emotional toll, risk of isolation, and mental health challenges. It offers practical strategies for clinicians to support healing through empathy, movement, nutrition, and holistic care.
The term “retention” may sound technical, but it’s crucial to grasp its significance in wound dressings and wound and exudate management. Understanding its function will deepen the understanding of its role in wound healing.
This summary highlights Drymax effectiveness and patient comfort as a superabsorbent dressing for exuding wounds. It manages exudate, prevents maceration, improves surrounding skin, and is rated highly for comfort and ease of use.
This independent laboratory study compares the ability of DryMax Super, a PU-foam dressing, and a DACC dressing to sequester and retain bacteria over seven days.
An evaluation of the Drymax Super dressing’s performance, safety, and usability in moderate to highly exuding wounds. Findings show it effectively manages exudate and wound odour while improving peri-wound skin without frequent changes.
Burn wounds produce a lot of exudates in the first 72 hours, risking dehydration, hypothermia, skin maceration, and infection. This study evaluated superabsorbent dressing’s effectiveness on patients with exuding burn wounds.
This independent laboratory study compares the ability of DryMax Soft, a PU-foam dressing, and a DACC dressing to sequester and retain bacteria over seven days.
Leaking legs and toes from lymphovenous disease can affect the quality of life and put pressure on community nurses. This study explores strategies for managing toe lymphorrhoea, especially in cases of high exudate levels.
When managing exuding wounds, versatile, practical, and user-friendly solutions are essential for clinicians and patients, allowing for a better everyday life. Our folding guide demonstrates the practicality of Drymax Soft in various scenarios.
This case highlights a complex leg ulcer in a 77-year-old man. After eight years without healing and uncontrollable exudate, his quality of life declined. Despite ongoing care, nothing helped, and the healthcare provider was left feeling helpless and out of options.
Mixed ulcers appear to be becoming increasingly common and can often be challenging for healthcare professionals. The unique nature of these wounds requires careful diagnosis and a tailored treatment strategy. In this article, we highlight the various aspects of mixed ulcers and guidelines for their management.
Working with recommended pain scales and pain assessment instruments provides a structured approach to understanding the patient’s perceived pain and adapting treatment according to your patient’s individual needs.
Traditional foam dressings are soft and absorbent but lack the ability to retain wound fluid. This can lead to leakage and skin damage, especially under compression. In such cases, a dressing with strong fluid retention is essential to protect the wound and surrounding skin.
How do we choose the right dressing, and how is the choice influenced by the economic aspects of healthcare? How can the wound healing process guide us in selecting the appropriate dressing? Susanne Dufva from the Wound Center at Södersjukhuset guides us through these questions.
Circular ulcers around the leg, accompanied by a patchwork of multiple dressings, macerated skin, and fluid accumulation at the foot, can occur in patients with larger legs or more extensive exuding ulcers. However, these complications can be prevented with appropriate solutions.
The aim of managing and dressing a venous leg ulcer is to create optimum conditions for healing. Ensuring a good wound environment and managing oedema positively impact the wound-healing process. This is done by cleaning the wound thoroughly and using appropriate dressings and compression therapy.
Venous leg ulcers commonly result from venous insufficiency due to damaged valves. Symptoms include pain, itching, and swelling, often with eczema and scaling. They typically develop on the lower leg, around the ankle, with discoloured skin and exudate surrounding the ulcer.
Venous leg ulcers are common hard-to-heal wounds that often form around the ankle due to venous insufficiency. Early recognition—through signs like swelling, skin discoloration, and irregular wounds—is key to effective treatment and reducing the risk of infection and recurrence.
If the patient consents, wound photo documentation can demonstrate and support the progress of a wound. Simple clinical photography during wound care requires a camera and single-use wound-measuring rulers. This article has more tips!
Arterial leg ulcer treatment is essential for promoting healing and preventing wound infection. Wound cleaning should ideally be gentle, and the choice of dressing should be based on the nature of the wound and its stage in the healing process.
Arterial ulcers are slow-healing leg wounds caused by reduced blood flow due to arterial damage, often linked to peripheral artery disease (PAD). These ulcers represent 10–20% of all leg ulcers and are considered hard-to-heal wounds, as they may persist for months or even years without visible improvement.
