Clinical Case Study - Leg ulcer - Mepilex® Border Comfort & Exufiber® Ag+

Clinical Challenge

To promote wound healing, control infection and manage wound exudation whilst reducing patient pain and discomfort.

Patient and Wound History

• 65 -year-old male
• Medical history of hypertension, artrial fibrillation, chronic venous insufficiency (varicose veins, ankle flare, hemosiderin staining); ankle brachial pressure index (ABPI) = 0.89
• Leg ulcer located on the shin of the left leg: present for 17 months.
• Previous treatment: Initially, patient self-care using pharmacy bought plaster and adhesive island dressing; prior to the study, the GP prescribed a small pad with adhesive tape.

Intervention and Treatment Regime

• Exufiber® Ag+ (intervention), a gelling fibre dressing with silver was chosen for its antimicrobial action concomitant with its capacity to manage wound extrudate.
• Mepilex® Border Comfort (intervention), foam dressing selected for conformability and exudate management.
• Mechanical wound debridement (curette or debridement pad) performed at dressing change until day 18; the wound was cleansed using tap water at all dressing changes.
• The wound was dressed with Exufiber® Ag+ (primary dressing) and Mepilex® Border Comfort (secondary dressing). After 26 days, Exufiber® Ag+ was discontinued.
• Dressing change was performed twice weekly in combination with a hosiery kit (40mmHg)

Wound Progression

Clinical outcome

The use of Exufiber® Ag+ and Mepilex® Border Comfort successfully ‘kick-started’ the healing process of a chronic leg ulcer and helped control wound infection leading to an improvement in the patient’s quality of life. The patient felt supported and confident that the wound would heal once the correct products and dressings were used, and said it felt great to get back to normality after a period of restricted mobility.

Alison Schofield Independent Tissue Viability Nurse, Goole, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom

^{This case study report has been prepared by Mölnlycke’s Global Medical Affairs team and is distributed with permission of the responsible clinician.}