Quality of life, exudate management and the Biatain foam dressing range

Wound care has become very complicated. For years, wound care practitioners have deliberated over the characteristics of what constitutes the 'ideal dressing'; more recently, the need to prepare the wound bed before it can begin to heal has become evident, including the importance of biotechnological innovations, such as growth factors and chemical mediators, to alter the composition of the wound in an attempt to produce the ideal wound healing environment. There has also been a shift in focus to try and improve the psychological and social needs of patients; to address the patient holistically rather than separating them from their wound. Many studies have looked at quality of life, most concentrating on pain, although there are other factors to address, such as malodour and leakage leading to loss of sleep, depression and social isolation. This article discusses how the new Biatain range hopes to address some of these issues, matching products to patient symptoms and problems.