Unna's Boot vs Polyurethane Foam Dressings for the Treatment of Venous Ulceration

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Abstract
• Recent reports have suggested that polyurethane foam dressings provide a more rapid and comfortable healing of venous stasis cutaneous ulcerations than standard semirigid impregnated gauze dressings. This multi-institutional study consists of a randomized, prospective comparison of 36 consecutive patients who were treated with either polyurethane foam dressings (group 1, n = 17) or Unna's boot (group 2, n = 19) for venous ulceration of the lower extremities. Ulcer size ranged from 6.0 to 270 cm2 (mean, 32.2 cm2) for group 1 and 0.2 to 600 cm2 (mean, 76.0 cm2) for group 2. Nine (52.9%) of 17 group 1 patients withdrew from the study due to wound odor, while there was 100% compliance in group 2. Overall wound healing was superior in group 2(18[94.7%] of 19) as compared with group 1(7[41.2%] of 17) (x2=8.2). The rate of healing was also better in group 2 (0.5 cm2/d) than in group 1(0.07 cm2/d). Contrary to published European trials, impregnated gauze dressings exhibited superior treatment results when compared with polyurethane foam dressings in the current study. (Arch Surg. 1990;125:489-490)

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