Skip to main content
News And Media

Reducing the Pain of HS wounds

By 17 Jan 2024No Comments

Journal of Wound Care Vol 33, No.1

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that causes significant pain and impacts the quality of life of patients. A recent study published in the Journal of Wound Care sheds light on this debilitating condition and offers insights into better managing the pain associated with HS wounds. A must-read for all Health-Care professionals with an interest in HS, here are our key takeaways:

  1. Severe Pain and Quality of Life Impact: Patients with HS experience intense pain, often compared to being struck with a hot poker. This pain severely impacts their daily activities and QoL, making HS one of the most debilitating skin diseases.
  2. Dressing Changes and Pain: The study highlights that dressing changes are often the most painful part of treatment for HS patients. Traditional gauze dressings, in particular, are associated with increased pain.
  3. Advancements in Dressing Techniques: Moist wound healing dressings are now considered more effective than dry dressings like gauze. These advanced dressings cause less trauma to the wound, reducing pain significantly.
  4. Patient-Reported Experiences: Many patients report discomfort, embarrassment, and a sense of isolation due to the challenges in managing their dressings. This emphasizes the need for more patient-friendly dressing solutions.
  5. New Dressing Systems: The study mentions the success of HS-specific lesion dressing systems, such as Hidrawear, which have been shown to significantly reduce pain and improve QoL in clinical trials.
  6. Guidelines for Pain Management: Recommendations include using soft, flexible, and adhesive-free dressings, and employing atraumatic techniques during dressing changes to minimize pain.
  7. Holistic Approach to HS Management: While addressing the underlying disease is crucial, simple changes in daily wound care can significantly improve pain management and enhance the QoL for HS patients.

 

For more in-depth information on this important topic, please refer to the full article in the Journal of Woundcare.