title: A wearable wound moisture sensor as an indicator for wound dressing change: an observational study of wound moisture and status.
abstract: Wound moisture is known to be a key parameter to ensure optimum healing conditions in wound care. This study tests the moisture content of wounds in normal practice in order to observe the moisture condition of the wound at the point of dressing change. This study is also the first large-scale observational study that investigates wound moisture status at dressing change. The WoundSense sensor is a commercially available moisture sensor which sits directly on the wound in order to find the moisture status of the wound without disturbing or removing the dressing. The results show that of the 588 dressing changes recorded, 44·9% were made when the moisture reading was in the optimum moisture zone. Of the 30 patients recruited for this study, 11 patients had an optimum moisture reading for at least 50% of the measurements before dressing change. These results suggest that a large number of unnecessary dressing changes are being made. This is a significant finding of the study as it suggests that the protocols currently followed can be modified to allow fewer dressing changes and less disturbance of the healing wound bed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Stephen D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Milne
authors.affiliation: Continuing Care Group, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Ihab
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Seoudi
authors.affiliation: Continuing Care Group, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Hanadi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Al Hamad
authors.affiliation: Hamad General Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Talal K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Talal
authors.affiliation: Continuing Care Group, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Anzila A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Anoop
authors.affiliation: Continuing Care Group, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Niloofar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Allahverdi
authors.affiliation: Continuing Care Group, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Zain
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zakaria
authors.affiliation: Hamad General Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Menzies
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Connolly
mesh_terms: D001458:Bandages; D047070:Bandages, Hydrocolloid; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005122:Exudates and Transudates / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D017592:Skin Care / Q000379:methods; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Diabetic foot; Dressing; Pressure ulcer; Sensor; Wound moisture