title: The Application of Modern Dressings to Buruli Ulcers: Results from a Pilot Implementation Project in Ghana.
abstract: Buruli ulcer (BU) is a tropical, infectious skin disease. The resulting ulcer can take a long time to heal, and a high standard of wound care is essential. Currently, the only dressing used for BU wound care is gauze, and its removal causes pain and bleeding. We performed a pilot implementation project using HydroTac(®) (HARTMANN, Heidenheim, Germany), a modern dressing combining foam with a hydrogel component. For future BU treatment, we recommend to use a more absorbent dressing than the HydroTac dressing used in the current project. However, we show that modern dressings can be applied to BUs and that HydroTac dressings yield clean, healing wounds, and prevent the pain and bleeding associated with gauze dressings. Wound care is a vital but to date neglected aspect of BU management.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Kristien
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Velding
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. s.klis@zgt.nl.
authors.forename: Sandor-Adrian
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Klis
authors.affiliation: Agogo Presbyterian Hospital, Agogo, Ghana.
authors.forename: K Mohammad
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Abass
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. Department of Pulmonary Diseases and Tuberculosis, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Tjip S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: van der Werf
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ymkje
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Stienstra
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001458:Bandages; D054312:Buruli Ulcer / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D005869:Ghana; D006801:Humans; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D020100:Hydrogels