In Vitro Comparison of the Absorption and Retention Capabilities of Two Superabsorbent Wicking Dressings

The management of wound exudate in a variety of wounds presents a serious clinical challenge because exudate from chronic wounds can be detrimental to wound healing. Improperly managed wound exudate may lead to further skin breakdown and periwound maceration, which has been associated with a greater risk of abrasion and skin tears. Maceration related to poorly managed wound exudate has been correlated with a vicious cycle of chronicity. Proper management of excess wound exudate is key in achieving wound healing. A new three-layer wicking dressing* with a superabsorbent layer absorbs and retains wound exudate. The purpose of this in vitro evaluation is to compare absorption and retention capabilities of a new three-layer wicking dressing with a super absorbent layer to the leading competitive hydroconductive wound dressing^.

The absorbency of the dressings was determined based on BS EN 13726-1:2002. Using 10 samples of each dressing, a 5cmx5cm portion of the dressing was placed into a 37˚C solution with an iconic composition comparable to wound exudate for 30 minutes. The dressing was weighed before and after submersion. For the fluid retention under compression test, the absorbency protocol was repeated, but the 10 samples were then placed under a weight of 1500 grams for 60 seconds. This pressure equates to 40mg mercury - the standard for venous leg ulcer compression bandaging.

The new three-layer wicking dressing absorbed 50.0 ± 1.2 g/100cm² and retained 40.3 ± 1.3 g/100cm². The leading competitive hydroconductive wound dressing absorbed 29.0 ± 0.1 g/100cm² and retained 25.6 ± 0.7 g/100cm². The test data shows that the absorbency of the new three-layer wicking dressing is nearly twice of the leading competitive hydroconductive wound dressing. The retention capacity results show that new three-layer wicking dressing can retain nearly 60% more fluid under pressure than the leading competitive hydroconductive wound dressing.