A Novel Venous Leg Ulcer Fluid Analysis Method for Rapid Metabolic Profiling

Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) are a major cause of morbidity with up to 30% failing to heal at 6 months. The biochemical composition of VLU exudates has been shown to be reflective of the wound microenvironment and correlates with wound healing status. Conventional metabolomic analyses of VLU fluid require lengthy sample collection, preprocessing, and laboratory workflows, limiting clinical utility. To overcome these limitations, a novel method for VLU fluid collection and analysis was developed and investigated.