Clinical Case Study - Venous leg ulcer - Mepilex Up®

Clinical Challenge

To encourage the maturation of the wound bed tissue with the long-term aim of wound healing.

Patient and Wound History

• 77-year-old female.
• Medical history of hypercholesterolemia, previous transient ischemic attack.
• Ankle flare indicative of venous insufficiency.
• Venous leg ulcer (VLU) on the lower anterior right leg resulting from a non-healing traumatic injury; present for 14 days.
• Previous dressing: simple adhesive dressing.

Intervention and Treatment Regime

• Mepilex® Up (intervention), a non-bordered foam dressing, was selected for its effective management of wound exudate and the prevention of wound maceration.
• Mechanical wound debridement was performed using a debridement pad and the wound was cleansed with an antimicrobial wound irrigation solution.
• The ulcer was dressed with Mepilex® Up (primary dressing); compression was applied using a 30 – 40 mmHg compression kit. The patient experienced no pain throughout the study.
• Wound dressings were changed weekly.

Wound Progression

Perspective

Mepilex® Up facilitated the quick healing of the VLU. Once healed, treatment with Mepilex® Up was continued to protect the new epithelial tissue.

The patient was very happy to self-care using Mepilex® Up, which enabled her to have a 2-week holiday. She wished the dressing could be waterproof.

^{With special thanks to Alison Barker, Lower Limb Specialist, Complex, Lower Limb Service, Ledbury Community Hospital, Wye Valley NHS Trust, Ledbury, 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.}