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A 3-Step Comprehensive Approach for Efficient VLU Healing

Clinician applying a purple dressing to a patient’s leg

Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) are the most common type of leg ulcer,13 often resulting from chronic venous insufficiency.14

The prevalence of venous leg ulcers (VLUs) is up to 2% of the population worldwide, rising to 5% in adults aged ≥65 years old.13 Although VLUs can have a significant impact on quality of life and healthcare systems resources, they may be managed with effective diagnosis, classification and treatment.14 When it comes to VLU care, Essity offer the full range of products to suit your patients’ individual needs.

Cost per VLU treatment episode: $16,000, reference 1.
Reference 1

Want to learn more about VLUs?

Essity Solutions: Advanced Wound Care and Compression Therapy for Accelerated Healing

Essity’s brands of Hydrofera Blue®, Cutimed®, and JOBST® offer a full assortment of products to provide efficient VLU care. By using a 3-step comprehensive approach that combines our advanced wound care and compression therapy products, you can support the management of VLUs, backed by available clinical evidence.

Step 1

Prepare the wound bed and control infection.

with Hydrofera Blue CLASSIC®

Hydrofera Blue CLASSIC dressing

The first step of providing efficient VLU treatment is to prepare the wound bed and control infection. For venous leg ulcers (VLUs), preparing the wound bed is essential at the beginning of treatment because it creates the conditions needed for the wound to heal and allows other treatments, especially compression therapy, to be more effective.

Hydrofera Blue CLASSIC® antibacterial foam dressings are constructed with an open-celled PVA foam, effectively managing exudate to promote wound healing. The porous structure uses a strong wicking action4 to draw bacteria and yeast from the wound bed, killing bacteria within the dressing and reducing bioburden. It supports gentle autolytic debridement6,15 by removing devitalized tissue and aiding in the promotion of healthy growth and safe, non-cytotoxic wound healing.16

Hydrofera Blue CLASSIC® dressings support healing with antibacterial protection and bioburden management, and are proven to reduce healing time by 58%4.

Clinical evidence statistic 1

Hydrofera Blue CLASSIC® supports cost-effective VLU care by reducing labor costs by 75%4, giving clinicians more of their valuable time back.

Clinical evidence statistic 2

Preparing the wound bed and controlling infections are the first steps in providing efficient VLU care. With Hydrofera Blue CLASSIC®, the result is a multifaceted, non-cytotoxic healing environment that reduces bioburden and aids in removing devitalized tissue from the wound bed.

Step 2

Manage the exudate.

with Cutimed® Sorbion®

Cutimed Sorbion dressing

Managing wound exudate is the second step in providing efficient VLU treatment for your patients. VLUs often produce large amounts of drainage due to increased pressure in the leg veins. When excess exudate sits on the skin, it can cause maceration. Wound healing environments must not be too wet or too dry; finding optimal moisture balance is key.

Cutimed® Sorbion® is a sterile, hydroactive, gel-forming, superabsorbent dressing. Sorbion® Technology promotes the healing needs of chronic wounds with superabsorbent polymers that form into a soft gel with a moist outer shell once exudate is absorbed. This ensures that there is still moisture on the wound side of the product while excessive exudate is transported away from the wound.

Cutimed® Sorbion® dressings have outstanding absorption capacity17 and high retention performance. It is capable of absorbing up to 44.7% more8 than comparable superabsorbent dressings, and provides protection against maceration through safe, vertical absorption.

Clinical evidence statistic 3

There is up to 28% lower VLU treatment costs10 when using Cutimed® Sorbion®; time and cost savings are found through reduced frequency of dressing changes and therapy efforts.10

Clinical evidence statistic 4

The first step in efficient VLU treatment is to remove the obstacles to healing by preparing the wound bed and controlling infection, and the second is to find proper exudate management to protect the optimal healing environment. Cutimed® Sorbion® superabsorbent dressings feature outstanding absorption capacity, excellent exudate retention performance, and a cleansing effect to promote moist wound healing.

Step 3

Initiate compression therapy.

with JOBST® compression therapy products

JOBST UlcerCare compression product

The final step in providing efficient VLU treatment is to initiate compression therapy. Compression therapy is the corner stone of VLU treatment and should be used as early as possible as part of a holistic management program.18,19,20 Compression has anti-inflammatory properties and reduces pain, exudate and associated skin problems.19 This contributes to shorter healing times and risk of recurrence.19

Compression therapy to support venous function and address underlying venous insufficiency19 remains the first-line treatment in chronic VLU management. Wearing compression bandages or compression stockings improves the venous return to the heart and increases the chances of healing.

JOBST® UlcerCare is a 2-in-1 compression system including a liner to hold the wound dressing in place and an outer stocking to provide the required level of compression.

Before applying the JOBST UlcerCare compression system, the edema has to be reduced by compression bandaging with short-stretch bandages, such as JOBST Comprilan or JOBST Compri2.

JOBST® FarrowWrap® 4000 leg piece is designed to provide gradient compression to the leg to sustain edema reduction, prevent new swelling, and promote healing of leg ulcers caused by chronic venous diseases.

Many patients suffer from recurrent venous leg ulcers. Using JOBST® compression therapy products in conjunction with proper advanced wound care can prevent recurrence by up to 56% after 12 months.11

Clinical evidence statistic 5

By initiating compression therapy for VLU treatment, JOBST® compression products enhance healing rates by up to 41%.12

Clinical evidence statistic 6

Compression therapy is a very important part of treating a venous leg ulcer and should be applied in combination with appropriate wound care products. JOBST’s® wide range of compression products help support VLU care and complete the holistic, 3-step approach to efficient VLU treatment.

A holistic approach to VLU treatment is essential because healing requires more than just treating the open wound. Clinicians must also manage the underlying venous disease, address infections, control exudate, optimize overall health, support emotional well-being, and educate the patient. By using the 3-step comprehensive approach that combines our Hydrofera Blue CLASSIC® and Cutimed® Sorbion® advanced wound care products, and JOBST® compression therapy products, you can support the management and efficient treatment of VLUs.

References

  1. Hankin CS, Knispel J, Lopes M, Bronstone A, Maus E. Clinical and cost efficacy of advanced wound care matrices for venous ulcers. J Manag Care Pharm. 2012;18(5):375–384.
  2. Ruckley, C V. “Socioeconomic impact of chronic venous insufficiency and leg ulcers.” Angiology vol. 48,1 (1997): 67-9. doi:10.1177/000331979704800111
  3. Browse, N L, and K G Burnand. “The cause of venous ulceration.” Lancet (London, England) vol. 2,8292 (1982): 243-5. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(82)90325-7
  4. Hurd T. (2019). Improving the Quality of Chronic Wound Care Using an Advanced Wound Management Program and Gentian Violet/Methylene Blue-Impregnated Antibacterial (GV/MB) Dressings: A Retrospective Study. Surgical technology international, 35, 58–66.
  5. Woo KY, Heil J. Methylene blue and gentian violet dressing for management of chronic wounds with local infection. Int Wound J. 2017;14(6):1029-1035.
  6. Coutts PM et al. Case Series of Lower-Extremity Chronic Wounds Managed with an Antibacterial Foam Dressing Bound with Gentian Violet and Methylene Blue. Adv Skin Wound Care. 2014;27(3):9-13, S1.
  7. Cutting KF. Managing wound exudate using a super-absorbent polymer dressing: a 53-patient clinical evaluation. J Wound Care. 2009;18(5):200-205.
  8. Wiegand C et al. SAP-containing dressings exhibit sustained antimicrobial effects over 7 days in vitro. J Wound Care. 2013;22(3):120-127. Essity. Data on File.
  9. BSN medical GmbH, Data on file. Testing was performed by the independent laboratory Surgical Material Testing Laboratory (S.M.T.L.) 2017.
  10. Panca M et al. Clinical and cost-effectiveness of absorbent dressings in the treatment of highly exuding VLUs. J Wound Care. 2013; 22:109-10, 112-8.
  11. Wong I.K. et al., J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2012 Vol. 26 Issue 1 Pages 102-10
  12. Vandongen YK, Stacey MC. Graduated compression elastic stockings reduce lipodermatosclerosis and ulcer recurrence. Phlebology. 2000;15(1):36-7.
  13. Körber A et al. Etiology of chronic leg ulcers in 31,619 patients in Germany analyzed by an expert survey. J Deutsche Derma Gesell. 2011;9(2):116-121.
  14. Young T. Back to basics: understanding venous leg ulceration. Wounds UK. 2017;13(2).
  15. Hargis et al. Foam Dressings for Wound Healing. Current Dermatology Reports. 2024;13:28-35.
  16. Essity Group. Data on File.
  17. BSN medical GmbH. In vitro study, Cutimed Sorbion is capable of absorbing and retaining more exudate than comparable superabsorbent dressings. Testing was performed by the independent laboratory Surgical Material Testing Laboratory (S.M.T.L.). 2017.
  18. Isoherranen K et al. Lower leg ulcer diagnosis & principles of treatment, including recommendations for comprehensive assessment and referral pathways. J Wound Management, 2023;24(2 Sup1):1-76.
  19. Nair HK et al. Leg ulceration in venous and arteriovenous insufficiency: assessment and management with compression therapy as part of a holistic woundhealing strategy. J Wound Care. 2024;33(Sup10b):1-31.
  20. Fletcher J et al. Best practice statement: holistic management of venous leg ulceration (second edition). Wounds UK. 2022.