Wound exudate: Effective assessment and management

The World Union of Wound Healing Societies (WUWHS) last published guidance on exudate management in 2019 in the consensus document Wound Exudate: Effective Assessment and Management. Since then, wound care practice has advanced considerably, creating a need for updated guidance that reflects recent developments in exudate management and their integration into clinical practice. Recognizing this need, an international group of experts reviewed the current evidence and shared their clinical experience to address challenges in exudate management across diverse geographical regions and healthcare settings. The resulting second edition of the consensus document will be presented for the first time at the WUWHS Congress 2026 in Kuala Lumpur.

Exudate plays a central role in wound healing by maintaining moisture balance and promoting tissue repair. However, when exudate volume becomes excessive or its composition changes, it can delay wound healing. Poorly managed exudate can have a substantial negative impact on patients' quality of life (QoL) while also increasing the burden on clinicians and healthcare systems. These challenges are addressed within the Wound Balance Concept, described in this consensus document, which aims to create a holistic picture of the patient and their wound so that clinicians can achieve a balance between the many facets of wound care planning and achievable goals.

The recommendations in this consensus document represent the gold standard of care and provide practical guidance for effective exudate assessment and management to improve clinical outcomes and support patient-centered decision-making. Among advanced therapies for exudate management, superabsorbent polymer (SAP)-containing dressings are increasingly recognized as an effective treatment option. By absorbing, sequestering, and retaining wound exudate. SAP-containing dressings help maintain an optimal moisture balance, protect the periwound skin, and reduce the risk of leakage and maceration. Through their specific mechanism of action, these dressings can also modulate pro-inflammatory biomarkers, such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), thereby supporting the healing process. Beyond effective exudate management, SAP-containing hydro-responsive wound dressings also contribute to wound bed preparation by facilitating autolytic debridement.

The overall aim of the consensus document is to support clinicians to prevent exudate related complications, with the patient being at the centre of decision-making.

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Harikrishna K. R. Nair, President, World Union of Wound Healing Societies; Director, Wound Care Unit, Kuala Lumpur Hospital, Malaysia; Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Lincoln University, Malaysia; Professor, Institute of Health Management, Austria; Adjunct Professor, Department of Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banares, Hindu University, India; Executive Director, College of Wound Care Specialists, Malaysia

Karen Ousey, PhD, MA, PGDE, DPPN, BA, RN, FHEA, CMgr MCMI, Professor of Skin Integrity, Department of Nursing, Director of the Institute for Skin Integrity & Infection Prevention, University of Huddersfield, UK; Adjunct Professor, Wound Care, Monash University, Australia

Joachim Dissemond, Professor of Dermatology and Venerology, Department of Dermatology, Venerology and Allergology, University of Essen, Germany

Caroline Dowsett, Tissue Viability Nurse Specialist, East London NHS Foundation Trust, UK

Christine Moffatt, Emeritus Professor, Nottingham University, UK

Zena Moore, Professor of Tissue Viability, Skin Wounds and Trauma (SWaT) Research Centre, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland

Christine Murphy, Registered Nurse and Nurse Specialized in Wound, Ostomy & Continence (NSWOC), The Ottawa Hospital, Canada

Sebastian Probst, HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Geneva, Switzerland; Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland; Monash University, Melbourne, Australia; University of Galway, Galway, Ireland

Debora Sanchez Pinto, Plastic Surgeon, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP); President and Founder, Sociedade Brasileira de Tratamento Avançado de Feridas (SOBRATAFE), Brazil

Terry Swanson, NPWM, MHSc, FMACNP, Fellow Australian Wound Management Association (AWMA); Wound Education Research Consultancy, Victoria, Australia

Laura Swoboda, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, FNP-BC, CWOCN-AP, WOCNF, FAANP; Translational Scientist, Professor of Health & Social Welfare, Department of Nursing, University of Wisconsin, Green Bay; Family