title: The effectiveness of a hydrogel dressing compared with standard management of pressure ulcers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare a hydrogel dressing with a conservative topical wound-care regimen (gauze with povidone-iodine) for the treatment of pressure ulcers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study comprising 27 (24 male and three female) spinal-cord injury patients with a total of 49 pressure ulcers. Wounds were randomised into a treatment group (n=25) or control group (n=24). The primary outcome measure was the rate of wound healing (cm2/days).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Healing rates in the treatment group were higher than in the control group, although this was not statistically significant. Some 84% of the wounds in the treatment group and 54% in the control group epithelialised, which was statistically significant (p=0.04). The mean healing time in the treatment group was 48 days compared with 45 days for the controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that hydrogel occlusive wound dressings facilitate healing by promoting more rapid epithelialisation of pressure ulcers, when compared with conservative wound care.
authors.affiliation: I Ankara Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: A Z
authors.initials: AZ
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Turani
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akyüz
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001458:Bandages / Q000592:standards; D047070:Bandages, Hydrocolloid / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011206:Povidone-Iodine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing*; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017592:Skin Care / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D012709:Serum Albumin; D011206:Povidone-Iodine