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Leg ulcer - venous - Management
How should I dress an infected venous leg ulcer?

  • Dressings should be applied by a healthcare professional trained in venous ulcer management.
  • Wound dressing: apply a low-adherent dressing and replace on a daily basis to assess whether the infection is improving:
    • Alternative dressings may be considered to help with pain (hydrocolloid), heavy exudate (alginate), or slough (hydrogels).
    • Do not use antimicrobial dressings.
  • Compression therapy: do not start compression therapy if the ulcer is infected. If a leg ulcer becomes infected and compression bandaging is being used, remove the bandaging, and restart compression therapy once the infection has resolved.

In depth

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