title: Chronic wounds dressing.
abstract: Essential facts A chronic wound is usually defined as any wound that has not healed for six weeks or more. In the UK, about 200,000 people are experiencing a chronic wound at any one time, with an estimated annual cost to the NHS of around £4 billion. According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) the selection of dressings is hindered by the relative lack of clinical evidence, while the prescription of advanced dressing, such as hydrocolloids, alginates, hydrofibre and antimicrobial dressings, for chronic wounds account for about £110 million a year in primary care in England.
mesh_terms: D001458:Bandages / Q000191:economics / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000628:therapy; D055318:Evidence-Based Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000628:therapy; D006113:United Kingdom; D014945:Wound Healing