LINK Scientific Content – Guideline

Optimising outcomes with Wound Balance and dressings containing superabsorbent polyacrylate polymers

Scientific Content

Optimising outcomes with Wound Balance and dressings containing superabsorbent polyacrylate polymers

Type
Guideline
Topics
Chronic Wounds, Chronic Wounds - Main Indications, Complex Wounds, Quality of Life, RespoSorb, Silicone SAP dressings, Silicone Border, Wound Balance, Wound Assessment
Language
EN
Publication Year
2025
Author(s)
Liz Ovens, Donna Ashton and Dawn Clements
Approx. reading time
1 hour (9pages)

Summary

The ever-increasing burden of hard-to-heal wounds requires emphasis placed on early intervention to help heal wounds and improve patient quality of life. A patient’s healing potential can be optimised by applying the ‘Wound Balance’ holistic framework for wound assessment, care planning and quality of life considerations. This holistic management can be facilitated with appropriate dressings, such as dressings containing superabsorbent polyacrylate polymers (SAPs), including RespoSorb® Silicone Border (Hartmann). SAP-containing dressings can absorb exudate and bind and lock away wound inhibitors, such as proteases and micro-organisms, reversing the factors associated with hard-to-heal wounds to enable a healing environment similar to an acute wound. Three case studies demonstrate the positive benefits of using RespoSorb Silicone Border in clinical practice. The dressings proved easy to use and comfortable, with atraumatic changes and long wear times, providing a cost-effective option for patients with both acute and hard‑to‑heal wounds.

Conclusion

The burden of hard-to-heal wounds has been well documented over the past few years. Therefore, it is more important than ever to shift the focus from managing a wound to healing a wound to minimise the risk of hard-to-heal status, focusing on a holistic approach to achieve Wound Balance (Garten et
al, 2023). RespoSorb Silicone Border is an SAP dressing that can reduce the high abnormal levels of MMPs and bacteria that are often found in hard-to-heal wounds and that inhibit wound healing (Davies, 2017). RespoSorb Silicone Border is easy to use, conformable and comfortable for the patient, and it enables a non-traumatic dressing change and has a long wear time. The dressing provides a cost-effective (Velickovic et al, 2020; 2022) alternative to foam dressings for patients with exuding acute and hard-to-heal wounds. The case studies demonstrate how early assessment of wound risk factors and early appropriate intervention can improve patient outcomes. Case studies play an important role in developing an evidence base, but further well-designed studies are required to expand on this. BJN

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