Clinical Challenge
To afford thorough but gentle mechanical debridement of hyperkeratosis to improve the condition and appearance of the skin whilst maintaining patient comfort.
Patient and Wound History
- 76-year-old male.
- Medical history of type 2 diabetes mellitus, Parkinson’s disease, diverticulitis disease, a history of deep vein thrombosis and aortic calcification.
- Hyperkeratosis with varicose eczema and cellulitis on the left lower anterior leg; present for 3 months.
- Historically, the patient had a low tolerance to mechanical debridement, particularly when addressing areas of marked hyperkeratosis limiting the extent of treatment that could be performed in a single session.
Intervention and Treatment Regime
- Mepi™ Debripad (intervention), a microfibre pad selected for its fast, safe, and low-pain debridement of hyperkeratotic skin.
- The area was cleansed with an emollient wash and Mepi™ Debripad was used to mechanically debride the areas of hyperkeratosis from the skin.
- After debridement, emollient was applied to the treated area and covered with a tubular retention bandage.
- Debridement was performed twice weekly.
| Debridgement Procedure | ||
|---|---|---|
| Before | After | |
| Affected area | Intact skin with 20% hyperkeratosis; moderate dryness | Healthy |
| Pain severity prior to dressing change - 0 Pain severity during cleansing - 0 Pain severity during debridement - 0 |
|
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Clincian's Perspective
Mepi™ Debridpad was well tolerated and enabled a more effective and comprehensive debridement of the hyperkeratosis than had previously been possible. The pad’s soft yet durable surface remained intact during use, its flexibility supported access to all areas of the leg and the option to use the pad wet or dry further facilitated its effectiveness. Compared with previous mechanical debridement techniques, the patient described this method as significantly more comfortable and was very satisfied with both the softness of the pad and the overall outcome of the debridement.
Acknowledgement: This case study report has been prepared by Mölnlycke’s Global Medical Affairs team and is distributed with permission of the responsible clinician.
Learn more about Mepi™ Debripad
Mepi™ Debripad is Mölnlycke’s easy-to-use microfibre pad for safe, fast and low-pain mechanical debridement. It requires no specialist training and can be used as a standalone treatment or as a complement to sharp or chemical debridement.
