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Evidence summaries

Hydrogel Dressings for Treating Pressure Ulcers

There is insufficient evidence if hydrogel dressings are more or less effective than other treatments in healing pressure ulcers or if different hydrogels have different effects. Level of evidence: "D"

The quality of evidence is downgraded by study quality, indirectness (short follow-up times) and imprecise results.

Summary

A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 11 studies with a total of 523 subjects. Three studies compared a hydrogel dressing with a basic wound contact dressing; three studies compared a hydrogel dressing with a hydrocolloid dressing; three studies compared a hydrogel dressing with another hydrogel dressing; one study compared a hydrogel dressing with a foam dressing; one study compared a hydrogel dressing with a dextranomer paste dressing and one study compared a hydrogel dressing with a topical treatment (collagenase). Where data were available there was no evidence of a difference between hydrogel and alternative treatments in terms of complete wound healing or adverse events. One small study reported that using hydrogel dressings was, on average, less costly than hydrocolloid dressings, but this estimate was imprecise and its methodology was not clear.

Clinical comments

Note

Date of latest search:

    References

    • Dumville JC, Stubbs N, Keogh SJ et al. Hydrogel dressings for treating pressure ulcers. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015;(2):CD011226. [PubMed]

Primary/Secondary Keywords