Antimicrobial wound dressings (AWDs) for chronic wounds: Health technology assessment report 13

Kelly J
Record ID 32018000239
English
Authors' objectives: The overarching research questions addressed in this Health Technology Assessment (HTA) are: What is the clinical and cost effectiveness of different antimicrobial wound dressings (AWDs), and their safety, compared with other dressings and techniques, for treating localised wound infection in chronic wounds in adults? What are the patient and organisational issues associated with the use of different AWDs in adult patients with chronic wounds?
Authors' results and conclusions: The published evidence base on the clinical effectiveness of these dressings was found to be of insufficient quality to support or refute their use. The dressings are currently being used within NHSScotland and primary research conducted with patients and staff indicated a lack of consistent practice and this being an added burden to patients. To enable meaningful advice to be given to NHSScotland until better quality evidence becomes available, SHTG and SIGN engaged in a unique collaboration to produce consensus recommendations to accompany the HTA. With the support of SIGN, SHTG researchers recruited NHSScotland staff to participate in a modified Delphi process resulting in a series of eight statements to guide practice.
Authors' recommendations: For healing of chronic wounds, the clinical and cost effectiveness evidence was either insufficient to draw conclusions on the use of AWDs, or showed no difference in healing outcomes compared with non-AWDs. Good quality clinical guidelines generally recommend against the use of AWDs in the routine treatment of clinically uninfected chronic wounds.
Authors' methods: The HTA process comprises four elements: clinical effectiveness, cost effectiveness, patient issues and organisational issues.
Details
Project Status: Completed
Year Published: 2015
URL for published report: http://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.org/our_work/technologies_and_medicines/topics_assessed/hta13_antimicrobial_dressings.aspx
English language abstract: An English language summary is available
Publication Type: Full HTA
Country: Scotland, United Kingdom
MeSH Terms
  • Wounds and Injuries
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Bandages
  • Wound Healing
Keywords
  • chronic wounds
  • antimicrobial wound dressings
Contact
Organisation Name: Scottish Health Technologies Group
Contact Address: Scottish Health Technologies Group, Delta House, 50 West Nile Street, Glasgow, G1 2NP Tel: 0141 225 6998
Contact Name: his.shtg@nhs.scot
Contact Email: his.shtg@nhs.scot
Copyright: Healthcare Improvement Scotland
This is a bibliographic record of a published health technology assessment from a member of INAHTA or other HTA producer. No evaluation of the quality of this assessment has been made for the HTA database.