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Alginates in Dressings and Wound Management

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Alginates and Their Biomedical Applications

Part of the book series: Springer Series in Biomaterials Science and Engineering ((SSBSE,volume 11))

Abstract

This chapter considers how wound dressings are used in the treatment of wounds identifying the ideal properties of a wound dressing. Changes in the treatment of wounds with dressings since 1980 are discussed highlighting the current availability of a wide range of advanced wound dressings that clinicians have to select from for each wound they treat. Alginate wound dressings are introduced with their chemistry briefly considered and their indications and contraindications for clinical use reported. The clinical evidence supporting the use of alginate wound dressings is discussed highlighting the generally weak evidence underpinning the use of all advanced wound dressings. Recent reviews of the effectiveness of alginate dressings noted that across all the studies, there were no statistically significant differences between the outcomes achieved using the alginate dressings and the comparison groups. It is concluded that alginate dressings are currently not in widespread use in the UK National Health Service and may now be considered as comparisons against which new technologies may be compared.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Welsh Wound Innovation Centre, Ynysmaerdy, Pontyclun, Wales

    Michael Clark

  2. Wound Healing Practice Development Unit, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, UK

    Michael Clark

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  1. Michael Clark
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Correspondence to Michael Clark .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Cell Factories and Biopolymers, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    Bernd H.A. Rehm

  2. Department of Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA

    M. Fata Moradali

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Clark, M. (2018). Alginates in Dressings and Wound Management. In: Rehm, B., Moradali, M. (eds) Alginates and Their Biomedical Applications. Springer Series in Biomaterials Science and Engineering, vol 11. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6910-9_8

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