23 March 2023
Various guidelines on managing hidradenitis suppurativa have been published since 2015 all recognising the importance of wound care for managing HS, however evidence supporting effective dressings for use in HS is lacking1 There are just a few articles examining dressings for HS, which include the recommendation of items such as
sanitary napkins and adult nappies 2 These recommendations highlight the lack of products being developed by industry specifically for patients with HS, that address the difficulties facing patients on a day to day basis Many research articles on HS wound care focus on post surgical care, and for many patients, the day to day management of exudate and odour imposes a significant burden and impacts quality of life 3
HS patients experience many challenges in the day to day management of their HS lesions and wounds A recent study found that the majority of patients use dressings regularly to manage their HS, with over half of patients needing dressings for more than 6 months out of every year 3 Over 80 of patients believe that tending to their wound care has a negative impact on their quality of life A staggering 93 %%( 845 s have experienced a dressing leak or fall off 3 Over 80 of patients experience dressing related pain, with 43 describing dressings changes as “very painful”, while the majority of the patients reported adhesive sensitivity 3 Adhesive dressings and tapes are known to damage the integrity of the skin, causing pain, irritation and skin stripping