INTRODUCTION Cutiplast (absorbent perforated dressing with adhesive border; Smith & Nephew) is commonly used following orthopaedic operation, but complications of its use have been reported. A prospective, randomised, controlled study was performed to compare the efficacy of Cutiplast versus an Aquacel (hydrofibre dressing; ConvaTec) covered with Tegaderm (vapourpermeable dressing; 3M).PATIENTS AND METHODS Two-hundred patients were randomised to receive one of the two dressings following elective and nonelective surgery of the hip and the knee. We were able to study 183 patients. The condition of the wound and any complications such as skin blistering or signs of infection was noted as was the frequency of dressing changes. RESULTS The Aquacel and Tegaderm dressing was 5.8 times more likely to result in a wound with no complications as compared to a Cutiplast dressing (odds ratio, 5.8; 95% CI 2.8-12.5; P < 0.00001).CONCLUSION Aquacel covered by Tegaderm is a superior dressing to Cutiplast following surgery to the hip and knee.

a b s t r a c tBackground: At present there is no established national minimum data set (MDS) for generic wound assessment in England, which has led to a lack of standardisation and variable assessment criteria being used across the country. This hampers the quality and monitoring of wound healing progress and treatment. Aim: To establish a generic wound assessment MDS to underpin clinical practice. Method: The project comprised 1) a literature review to provide an overview of wound assessment best practice and identify potential assessment criteria for inclusion in the MDS and 2) a structured consensus study using an adapted Research and Development/University of California at Los Angeles Appropriateness method. This incorporated experts in the wound care field considering the evidence of a literature review and their experience to agree the assessment criteria to be included in the MDS. Results: The literature review identified 24 papers that contained criteria which might be considered as part of generic wound assessment. From these papers 68 potential assessment items were identified and the expert group agreed that 37 (relating to general health information, baseline wound information, wound assessment parameters, wound symptoms and specialists) should be included in the MDS. Discussion: Using a structured approach we have developed a generic wound assessment MDS to underpin wound assessment documentation and practice. It is anticipated that the MDS will facilitate a

Nurse consultant posts were introduced in 2000 with a view to expanding the role of nurses. The author was appointed as a nurse consultant in tissue viability to develop the service already in place in her trust and improve patient care. This article describes the role of the nurse consultant working in tissue viability and identifies the qualities and skills needed to undertake this role.

Compression hosiery plays a vital role in preventing leg ulcer recurrence, but many patients choose not to wear it. This review identifies the factors that may be responsible for this and suggests how the problem can be overcome.

It is a common belief that bacterial infection will delay the healing of leg ulcers, or lead to a deterioration in the wound bed or surrounding skin. Despite many years of research however, there is still no agreement on whether this is in fact the case. This article reviews a selection of the available literature regarding the effects of bacteria on leg ulcer healing. Attempts have been made to distinguish differing levels of bacterial presence (e.g. contamination, colonization, infection), but these terms are still loosely applied and consequently ill-defined. Furthermore, the variety of treatment and assessment methods used in the various studies hampers their comparison. The article concludes that future studies should adhere to a uniform methodology in order to provide clear evidence on which to base practice.