Estimates of evaporation rates from wounds for various dressing/support surface combinations

The management of exudate is an essential aspect of wound care. The wound bed must remain moist to promote healing, but care must be taken to remove excess fluid to avoid maceration and subsequent breakdown of the periwound site, which could serve as a possible portal to infection. Excess fluid is typically absorbed into and/or evaporates through the wound dressing or may be managed by a powered vacuum-assisted closure device. Although the moisture vapor permeability has been studied for dressings, the rate of evaporation associated with wound's immediate treatment environment, or dressing/treatment surface interface, has not been addressed to date. It is essential for caregivers to have an understanding of how these 2 interventions work together in order to provide optimal care to the wound patient. The purpose of this study was to provide estimates of evaporative withdrawal rates for various wound dressings and therapeutic support surfaces.