["Auriga-04" study on the use of a range of Allevyn hydro-cellular dressings in the treatment of bed sores and leg ulcers by primary health care professionals]

Abstract

The objective of this study was to analyze the application and usefulness of a range of Allevyn trademark hydro-cellular dressings during cicatrisation and in the control of exudation and other various characteristics of chronic lesions in real clinical conditions where patients were treated by primary health care professionals. In this study, 441 patients having chronic wounds, either bed sores or leg ulcers, were studied, health care professionals applied a planned program of measures repeated during 20 dressing changes or until cicatrisation was completed if this happened during this interval. The sample population was comprised of elderly patients, the majority of whom were women whose general health could be classified from medium to poor. These patients suffered from these types of wounds: 63% had bed sores, 27.2% had varicose ulcers and 9.8% had leg ulcers caused by another etiology such as mixed ulcers, arterial ulcers or diabetic foot. On average, these lesions were characterized by an evolutionary period of 6.1 months and had a 30.43 square centimetre surface area at the start of the study. 126 lesions, or 28.8%, cicatrized on average of 47.3 days. Among the 315 lesions which had not cicatrized by the end of 20 dressing changes, 90.5% showed evidence of improvement. During the study these lesions showed a significant reduction in their surface area, as well as a significant improvement at the edges of these lesions and the peri-ulceral skin. The health personnel which carried out the treatment using these dressings gave a very favorable evaluation for their use. At the end of this study, in comparison with other dressings previous used, this study showed that in 43.43% of the cases an Allevyn dressing was deemed better in terms of ease in application, in 51.79% of the cases an Allevyn dressing was better in terms of absorption and in 43.23% of the cases an Allevyn dressing was better during removal.