title: Wound bed preparation: A novel approach using HydroTherapy.
abstract: Wounds that fail to heal quickly are often encountered by community nursing staff. An important step in assisting these chronic or stalled wounds progress through healing is debridement to remove devitalised tissue, including slough and eschar, that can prevent the wound from healing. A unique wound treatment called HydroTherapy aims to provide an optimal healing environment. The first step of HydroTherapy involves HydroClean plus™, this dressing enables removal of devitalised tissue through autolytic debridement and absorption of wound fluid. Irrigation and cleansing provided by Ringer's solution from the dressing further removes any necrotic tissue or eschar. Once effective wound bed preparation has been achieved a second dressing, HydroTac™, provides an ongoing hydrated wound environment that enables re-epithelialisation to occur in an unrestricted fashion. This paper presents 3 case studies of slow healing wounds treated with HydroClean plus™ which demonstrates effective wound debridement.
authors.affiliation: Lecturer Practitoner/Vascular Nurse Specialist, Institute of Skin Integrity and Infection Prevention, School of Human and Health Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Yorkshire.
authors.forename: Leanne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Atkin
authors.affiliation: Professor and Director, Institute of Skin Integrity and Infection Prevention, School of Human and Health Science.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ousey
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001458:Bandages; D003646:Debridement / Q000295:instrumentation*; D017719:Diabetic Foot / Q000628:therapy*; D016523:Foot Ulcer / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation; D014945:Wound Healing
keywords: de-sloughing; debridement; devitalised tissue; hydration; wound bed preparation