The management of hard-to-heal or chronic wounds places a high economic burden on healthcare services. This problem is exacerbated by the increasing age of the general population, an increasing diabetes population and a high prevalence of such wounds in the elderly, patients with diabetes and those with venous insufficiency. Standard treatments for such wounds, such as compression therapy in venous leg ulcers, debridement and wound care for diabetic foot ulcers, can still leave a significant population with non-healing wounds, resulting in extended hospital stays and reduced quality of life. The use of amelogenin (Xelma, Mölnlycke Health Care) for the treatment of a variety of chronic wounds has been assessed in both case studies and larger clinical trials with encouraging findings. This article examines the findings of studies relating to amelogenin in the treatment of hard-to-heal wounds.

This article outlines an innovative joint working strategy, as well as a partnership project, between two NHS Foundation Trusts-a community trust and industry partner-to develop a mobile training app to deliver pressure ulcer prevention and management for clinical staff. The aim of the innovation was to enable a new way of delivering education to large numbers of staff by moving away from traditional classroom-based training. The process included development of the app, along with testing and implementation, followed by a review of the qualitative data after the app's implementation. The review takes into account the key outcomes that have had an impact on this method of delivering education, its challenges and how it has been received by clinical staff and patients.

In recent years, honey has emerged as a versatile product that can be applied to many different types of wound to achieve a variety of outcomes, depending on the requirements of the clinician and patient. However, there is still some confusion about how specific honeys work, their antibacterial potency, and what effects this has on wounds treated with honey products. This article reviews the need for ongoing use of honey in wound care. It focuses on Medihoney, a medically certified honey licensed for professional wound care, and presents an update of the clinical data supporting its use.

Pressure ulcers are a frequent, but often preventable, occurrence among patients in acute care facilities, and the heel is one of the anatomical locations most commonly affected. Multiple clinical guidelines recommend the use of robust assessments to identify at-risk patients and the application of heel protection devices to reduce the likelihood of developing heel pressure ulcers. A quality improvement initiative involving robust skin-assessment practices, staff education, and the use of heel protection devices was analysed retrospectively to evaluate the efficacy of current practice interventions. These analyses revealed that the incidence of heel pressure ulcers was inversely correlated with the number of heel protectors used at two large acute NHS teaching hospitals in inner London, and that the consistent and early use of heel protectors improved patient outcomes and reduced costs of care.

Objective: Incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD) is a common type of irritant contact dermatitis. It is categorised by persistent erythema and can be associated with denudation and/or colonisation and infection. IAD is challenging to treat and affects 3.4–50% of patients. This case series evaluates a novel, elastomeric, advanced skin protectant (3M Cavilon Advanced Skin Protectant) in a UK acute health-care setting, for the management of IAD in patients suffering from moisture-associated skin damage (MASD) in the sacral/genital area. Method: The patient's skin was assessed by clinicians using the GLOBIAD classification tool at the point of recruitment and to monitor progress throughout the study period. The product was applied as a single layer in accordance with the instructions for use. Patients, when able, were asked to assess their own pain level using the Wong-Baker FACES pain scale. Photographs were taken as part of the ongoing assessment. Results: The skin protectant was used on average every 2.28 days. Of the 18 IAD patients recruited, 79% (n=11) were classified as IAD-free, based on the GLOBIAD categorisation tool, by the end of the evaluation period. Skin deterioration during the evaluation period was seen in one patient (6%), and of the patients able to complete pain assessments, 55% (n=6) reported a reduction in pain. Conclusion: These results suggest that the elastomeric skin protectant, applied every three days, plays a role in the improvement of IAD. The skin protectant adheres to wet and weeping partial-thickness wounds and may aid IAD management. Reducing application to every third day supports a change in practice which may offer benefits to patients and caregivers.