Using the PUSH Tool to Evaluate Wound Healing during Treatment with a Novel Surfactant-based Gel Dressing

Introduction:

A new surfactant-based burn and wound dressing that donates moisture and promotes a clean wound environment was evaluated on twenty patients with lower extremity wounds. 

Materials and Methods:

This descriptive IRB approved study addressed the use of the PUSH (Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing) Tool to measure healing with the use of a surfactant-based gel. The PUSH tool requires wound assessment with the assignment of an appropriate score for the 3 parameters of size, exudate amount, and tissue type. When these parameters are scored, the final PUSH score ranges from 0 (healed) to 17 (most severe wound). All patients seen at the wound clinic were given a PUSH score prior to application of the gel and at subsequent clinic visits. The wounds selected were full thickness and had been present for greater than 4 weeks.

Results:

Twenty patients participated in this case series involving 11 women and 9 men with a mean age of 65. All 20 of the patients had peripheral vascular disease. The mean PUSH score before the surfactant-based gel was applied was 10.2 and post-treatment was 7.5. All patients had a decrease in their pretreatment to the first clinic visit post treatment PUSH Tool score. In this study, all wounds entered into a healing trajectory using this surfactant-based gel as evidenced by the decrease in PUSH Tool scores.

Conclusion:

All twenty patients had a decrease in PUSH Tool scores from pre-treatment to post-treatment indicating that the surfactant- based gel may be an effective dressing in the management of lower extremity wounds.