The Impact of Chronic Wound Exudate on the Patient, Clinician and Payer: Addressing the Challenges With Foam Dressings

Chronic wounds are often highly exudative. If not managed properly, chronic wound exudate will result in complications that delay healing and have highly detrimental effects on patients and their carers, as well as add substantial costs to the healthcare system as a whole. This short review article focuses on the role that foam dressings play in achieving moisture balance in the wound while protecting surrounding skin, with emphasis on how their structure and composition contribute to their ability to accomplish these goals. Foam dressing properties can create a conducive environment for wound healing, which ultimately has positive health and economic benefits for patients and society at large. It is hoped that, by reading this article, healthcare professionals will have a better understanding of the role of foam dressings in managing exudate and be better equipped to critique laboratory and clinical studies that have been undertaken to evaluate their performance.