Menna Lloyd-Jones
British Journal of Community Nursing, Vol. 16, Iss. 9 Suppl, 02 Sep 2011, pp S38 - S42

The cost to the NHS of treating pressure ulcers is estimated at £1.4-2.1 billion per annum (Bennet et al, 2004). This does not take into consideration the cost to the patient in terms of loss of dignity and pain. It is estimated that between 4-10% of admissions to acute hospitals have pressure ulcers. The most common location for pressure ulcers is the sacrum, and the management of sacral pressure ulcers can be problematic (Beldon, 2008). As a result of the location, the risk of infection from faecal matter is high. Wound infection can result in increased exudate production, and although exudate is an important factor in wound healing, excess exudate can be very problematic for both the nurses and their patients. The aim of this article is to discuss the benefit of Eclypse Adherent Sacral dressing in the management of excess exudate and dressing related pain associated with sacral pressure ulcers. As the majority of patients with pressure ulcers are elderly a suitable secondary dressing should be able to manage excess exudate be easy to apply and pain free on removal. Soft silicone technology is capable of meeting all theses challenges.