When should I use a silicone foam dressing?

Soft silicone dressings can be used on a wide range of low- to highly-exuding wounds, including:

• pressure injuries;
• diabetic foot ulcers and venous leg ulcers;
• traumatic wounds (e.g. skin tears); and
• partial thickness burns.²

They are particularly suitable for patients:

• with fragile skin, including young children and the elderly;
• experiencing pain at dressing changes; and
• where you want to protect at-risk periwound skin.²

Silicone foam dressings offer several benefits in wound care:

1. They manage exudate

To manage exudate effectively, you need an absorbent dressing that rapidly removes excess exudate from the wound bed and the surrounding skin. At the same time, the dressing needs to maintain a moist wound environment.³ Silicone foam dressings are flexible and conform well to the body. Clinical studies have shown that these dressings can absorb wound fluid vertically, without the exudate leaking from the wound onto the surrounding skin.²

2. They help protect the periwound skin

Soft silicone dressings have been described as ‘atraumatic’. This is because they don’t cause trauma to the wound or periwound skin when they’re removed.² Published studies also suggest that patients whose wounds are dressed with these dressings experience less discomfort on removal and less maceration than those dressed with conventional dressings.⁴ Soft silicone dressings are therefore recommended when you want to help minimise patients’ pain and trauma during dressing removal.⁵

3. They can help prevent pressure injuries

Studies show that using a soft silicone multi-layered foam dressing can protect the skin for individuals at-risk of pressure injuries.⁶