Wounds can produce high volumes of exudate, which is harmful and may impair wound healing1.

To manage this, clinicians often use dressings containing superabsorbent polymers. We compared the ability of six commercially available superabsorbent dressings to absorb and retain fluid under different pressures.

All of the dressings tested absorbed large volumes of fluid (Fig. 1a). However, some tended to release bacteria on the wound surface.

1. Absorbs Exudate

The sterile non-woven dressing containing gelling fibers absorbs and retains secreted exudate, turning it into a soft gel that maintains a moist wound management environment. It’s also impregnated with broad-spectrum antimicrobial.

The patented multilayer system of the Neutra-Pads enables them to absorb and encapsulate noxious formalin liquid waste during grossing while protecting laboratory personnel against hazardous vapors. It also prevents specimen cross-contamination between cases.

During the foot phantom experiment, the absorbing island dressings quickly transport exudate from a wound contact layer into the core by hydro conductive action, thereby reducing the risk of fluid strikethrough. The patented system also allows the dressing to dispense hyaluronic acid to the wound surface progressively, which helps to keep the wound moist and healthy, while not flooding it with excessive hyaluronic acid that can delay healing.

2. Maintains Moisture

While a moist wound environment is necessary for healing, excessive amounts of exudate can be damaging. Exudate includes white blood cells that control bacteria, growth factors, and proteases that remodel the damaged extracellular matrix and other components of the wound.

In this study, six commercially available superabsorbent dressings were tested for their ability to absorb and retain fluid under two different pressures. All dressings absorbed a significant amount of fluid (Fig. 1a). Kliniderm absorbed the most fluid, followed by ConvaMax, 3M Kerramax Care, Mextra, and Zetuvit Plus.

Additionally, all the dressings maintained a slightly acid pH on their surface after being insulted with urease-enriched urine. This is important to maintain a barrier between the exudate and the skin. This helps to prevent maceration and the damage that accompanies it.

3. Maintains Skin Barrier

In addition to absorbing exudate, the pads maintain skin barriers and protect against irritation. Pads with a higher pH level, like salicylic acid or glycolic acid, can help with oily skin and breakouts, while those with a lower pH level, such as aloe vera, can soothe dryness and sensitivity.

These absorbent grossing pads with liners are designed to prevent specimen cross-contamination during grossing procedures by absorbing 18% more formalin than their predecessors1. They also act as an excellent liner for tissue transport trays and storage areas, preventing the release of hazardous waste.

Venous leg ulcers (VLU) present unique challenges and the ability to control the volume of excessive exudate is critical for healing. Superabsorbent dressings, utilized within a comprehensive wound healing algorithm, can lead to improved clinical and financial outcomes in VLU cases.

4. Retains Bacteria

Wound exudate plays a crucial role in the wound healing process by transporting essential nutrients, inflammatory mediators, and growth factors toward the wounded tissue. Excessive amounts of exudate, however, can disturb the moisture balance, irritate adjacent tissues and macerate peri-wound skin, leading to a poor or even non-healing wound.

The paper-based approach allows the user to perform pathogen detection on wound fluid samples in less than 30 min, with a sample-to-result turnaround time of only three simple hands-on steps. This streamlined protocol has been tested on Pseudomonas aeruginosa spiked wound exudate and demonstrated a LOD of 2.1 x 105 CFU/mL.

Designed specifically to absorb, encapsulate and neutralize noxious formalin liquid and eliminate hazardous vapors, Neutra-Pads are ideal for grossing, and as liners in tissue transport trays and storage areas.

5. Reduces Risk of Infection

Whether used to control formalin spills on grossing surfaces or in storage and transportation carts, Neutra-Pads can help reduce the risk of infection from toxic contaminates. The absorbent Neutra-Pads provide a clean working surface during grossing procedures and prevent the escape of formalin and other hazardous liquids.

In highly exuding wounds, dysregulated production of factors such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) has been linked to impaired healing1.

MMPs have been found in the high levels of wound exudate seen in chronic wounds. Our results demonstrated that all of the investigated dressings could sequester MMP-2 and MMP-9, however, some did so less effectively than others. In addition, all of the investigated foam dressings internalized bacteria over time, indicating that they can potentially inhibit bacterial growth. This helps to ensure that the environment within the wound is suitable for re-epithelialization.