What can we do to heal these wounds? We have tried everything else

Pressure ulcer healing can be challenging in the long-term care setting due to the advanced age of the patients and comorbidities.  Even with adequate interventions in place, pressure ulcers can still develop among these patients.  Stage two pressure ulcers involve only the superficial layers of the skin and typically should heal within 30 to 60 days; however, bacterial bioburden may delay healing, thus causing the wounds to become chronic. 

The purposed intervention was to identify patients with chronic non-healing pressure ulcers.  These patients were started on a chronic non-healing protocol that includes the use of the Leptospermum honey hydrogel colloidal sheet product if not contraindicated.

 Leptospermum Honey dressings (Leptospermum scoparium) are available in a gel, hydrocolloid, an alginate and the new hydrogel colloidal sheet.  We found that by utilizing this product on chronic/stalled wounds there was an increase in the speed of the debridement process noted allowing wound progress and healing to be observed within a shorter time frame.  In the cases presented less than 60 days healing was achieved with the average noted to be 25 days. It was also observed after the first week as drainage decreased the time span between dressing changes was extended to 2-3 time per week. In one of the cases presented the patient had no payer source which frequently leads to a tremendous loss to the facility however we were able to heal this patient spending a mere $72.00.  In another of the cases presented the patient was treated with an enzymatic debridement agent for 90 days prior to LH being initiated with minimal outcomes achieved, once LH was initiated 100% of the non-viable tissue was removed in just 60 days.

Presented are 5 case studies that show marked improvement with faster debridement of non-viable tissue and healing of chronic non-healing pressure ulcers.