A prospective, randomized, controlled, crossover study comparing three multilayered foam dressings for the management of chronic wounds.

Aim: Compare foam dressings - Mepilex Border Flex (MxBF), Allevyn Life (AL) and Optifoam Gentle EX (OGEX) - in treatment of chronic wounds. Materials & methods: Prospective, randomized, controlled trial (crossover design). Subjects received one dressing for 2 weeks, then comparator dressing for following 2 weeks. Wound/periwound characteristics evaluated weekly at dressing change. Primary end point: dressing durability (incidence of exudate strikethrough). Results: Higher incidence of intact dressings (no strikethrough) at Day 7 (Week 1) with MxBF (6/17; 35.3%) compared with AL (1/18; 5.6%), and with MxBF (7/16; 43.8%) compared with OGEX (2/16; 12.5%; p < 0.05). No significant differences between groups regarding wound size reduction. Conclusion: MxBF had statistically greater durability than AL/OGEX during first critical week of treatment.