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EPUAP 2025

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24 - 26 September

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Prevent Early. Treat Powerfully.

Pressure ulcers remain a persistent and largely preventable challenge, affecting millions of patients and contributing to serious complications such as extended hospital stays and increased healthcare costs.1,2

At Smith+Nephew, we believe in early prevention and powerful treatment to improve outcomes and to reduce the burden of pressure ulcers.

Prevent Early

Bony prominences like heels, the sacrum and elbows can be protected by the prophylactic use of silicone multi-layer dressings.3 ALLEVYN◊ LIFE Dressing helps protect at-risk individuals from the onset of pressure injuries 4,5* and significantly reduced the incidence of sacral pressure ulcers - by 71% in elderly patients with hip fracture.4**

Treat Powerfully

The RENASYS◊ EDGE system delivers Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT). Treating complex pressure ulcers with advanced therapies like NPWT can help to achieve good clinical6-10 and patient11 outcomes while being cost-effective11++. NPWT has been shown to promote granulation tissue formation, protect the wound from the outside environment and promote moisture balance within the wound bed12-16. 

Together, they enable a seamless, effective wound care journey.

 
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Discover the most common myths surrounding pressure ulcer care

Every day, clinicians like you make critical decisions in the prevention and management of pressure ulcers. But even with the best intentions, outdated beliefs and misconceptions can persist—impacting care outcomes.

Thank you to all of you who shared their insights and experiences to help us identify the most common myths surrounding pressure ulcer care.

Your voice is contributing to shaping better education and more effective clinical support.

Want your next myth debunked?  

Fill out the survey and become a PU buster.
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Using foam dressings in pressure ulcer prevention

Multi-layer silicone foam dressings are a key part of pressure ulcer prevention and help to manage microclimate, redistribute pressure and reduce friction and shear.3 ALLEVYN◊ LIFE is a 5-layer foam dressing with a distinct mode of action helping to reduce pressure ulcer incidence:17*

  • ALLEVYN LIFE Dressing absorbs and dissipates mechanical energy through both material shear and layer-to-layer frictional sliding within the dressing.18*** 
  • ALLEVYN LIFE Dressing redistributes pressure over a significantly larger area than other traditional foam dressings19†
  • A health economic study shows that ALLEVYN◊ LIFE Dressings with standard preventative care was estimated to reduce treatment costs between 37-69% per patient.20‡
     
Learn more

Discover a new era of innovation with RENASYS◊ EDGE NPWT

RENASYS EDGE NPWT system: the latest evolution in NPWT features an intuitive user interface for enhanced simplicity.21 The durable pump includes self-test functionality, designed to help ensure confidence with device performance.22

Learn more
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Unlock Your Potential with S+N Academy Online

Join a vibrant community of learners and professionals at S+N Academy Online — our  educational hub designed to empower, inspire, and elevate your skills.
Whether you're looking to deepen your expertise or explore new frontiers, our interactive courses and expert-led sessions are just a click away.

Register now and start your journey
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Disclaimers

For detailed product information, including indications for use, contraindications, precautions and warnings, please consult the product’s applicable Instructions for Use (IFU) prior to use.
 
Products may not be available in all markets because product availability is subject to the regulatory and/or medical practices in individual markets. Please contact your Smith+Nephew representative or distributor if you have questions about the availability of Smith+Nephew products in your area.

◊Trademark of Smith & Nephew. All Trademarks acknowledged. ©2025 Smith+Nephew. All rights reserved.

Footnotes:
*When used as part of a comprehensive prevention program and when compared to standard care alone
**p<0.001; when used as part of a comprehensive prevention program and when compared to standard care alone 
***As demonstrated in vitro
† p<0.001; as demonstrated in laboratory testing. Traditional foams defined as Biatain™ Silicone,Tegaderm™ Silicone Foam Border, Mepilex™ Border Flex/Comfort, Mepilex Border, Optifoam™ Gentle, Optifoam Gentle LQ and AQUACEL™ Foam
‡Compared with using standard preventive care alone; n=359 Compared with using standard preventive care alone; n=359 
++Compared to Hospital in-patient managed NPWT; n=29
Citations
1. Ebi WE, Hirko GF, Mijena DA. Nurse’s knowledge to pressure ulcer prevention in publica hospitals in Wollega: a cross-sectional study design. BMC Nurs 18, 20 (2019).
2. Wassel CL, Delhougne G, Gayle JA, Dreyfus J, Larson B. Risk of readmissions, mortality, and hospital-acquired conditions across hospital-acquired pressure injury (HAPI) stages in a US National Hospital Discharge database. Int Wound J. 2020;17(6):1924–1934.
3. European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel, National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel and Pan Pacific Pressure Injury Alliance. Prevention and Treatment of Pressure Ulcers/Injuries: Clinical PracticeGuideline. The International Guideline. Emily Haesler (Ed.). EPUAP/NPIAP/PPPIA: 2019.
4. Forni C, D’alessandro F, Gallerani P, et al. Effectiveness of using a new polyurethane foam multi-layer dressing in the sacral area to prevent the onset of pressure ulcer in the elderly with hip fractures: A pragmatic randomised controlled trial. International wound journal. 2018;15(3):1 - 8. 5. Austin M. Implementation of a Medical Device Related Pressure Injury Prevention Bundle: A Multidisciplinary Approach. Paper presented at: SAWC; 2019. 
6. Hurd T, Rossington A, Trueman P, Smith J. A Retrospective Comparison of the Performance of Two Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Systems in the Management of Wounds of Mixed Etiology. Adv Wound Care (New Rochelle). 2017;6(1):33-37.
7. Carnali M, Ronchi R, Finocchi L, Spuri Capesciotti S, Paggi B. Retrospective study on the use of negative pressure wound therapy in the treatment of pilonidal cysts (sinus pilonidalis) operated on using an open technique or complicated by dehiscence of the surgery site through sepsis. Acta Vulnologica 2016;14(1):24 - 40.
8. Rahmanian-Schwarz A, Willkomm LM, Gonser P, Hirt B, Schaller HE. A novel option in negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) for chronic and acute wound care. Burns. 2012;38(4):573-577.
9. Smith+Nephew 2018. Results Sheet for the RENASYS TOUCH PCS Outcomes in Flaps. Internal Report. ST924A.
10. Hurd T, Chadwick P, Cote J, Cockwill J, Mole TR, Smith JM. Impact of gauze-based NPWT on the patient and nursing experience in the treatment of challenging wounds. Int Wound J. 2010;7(6):448 - 455.
11. Rossato M, Ryrie M, Robinson M, Searle R, Murdoch J. Use of NPWT as part of a Hospital @ Home wound management service. JCN Wound Care. 2021;35(4):50 - 57.
12. Birke-Sorensen H, Malmsjo M, Rome P, et al. Evidence-based recommendations for negative pressure wound therapy: Treatment variables (pressure levels, wound filler and contact layer) - Steps towards an international consensus. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2011;64(1):S1 - S16.
13. Young SR, Hampton S, Martin R. Non-invasive assessment of negative pressure wound therapy using high frequency diagnostic ultrasound: oedema reduction and new tissue accumulation. Int Wound J. 2013;10(4):383-388.
14. Dunn R, Hurd T, Chadwick P, et al. Factors associated with positive outcomes in 131 patients treated with gauze-based negative pressure wound therapy. Int J Surg. 2011;9(3):258 - 262.
15. Apelqvist J, Willy C, Fagerdahl AM, et al. EWMA Document: Negative Pressure Wound Therapy - Overview, Challanges and Perspectives. J Wound Care. 2017;26(3 (Supplement)):S1 - S155.
16. Smith+Nephew 2009. A prospective, open labelled, multicentre evaluation of the use of EZCare in the management of acute and chronic wounds. Internal Report. SR/CIME/010/012.
17. Marché C, Creehan S, Gefen A. The frictional energy absorber effectiveness and its impact on the pressure ulcer prevention performance of multilayer dressings. International Wound Journal. 2024;21(4):e14871. doi:10.1111/iwj.14871 
18. Smith+Nephew 2023. The ALLEVYN™ LIFE Foam Dressing as an energy absorber. Internal Report. CSD.AWM.23.033.
19. Smith+Nephew 2021.Pressure Mapping. Benchtop Testing Report. CSD.AWM.21.006 
20. Forni C, Searle R. A multilayer polyurethane foam dressing for pressure ulcer prevention in older hip fracture patients: an economic evaluation. J Wound Care. 2020;29(2):120 - 127. 
21. Smith and Nephew 2022. RENASYS EDGE System Human Factors Summative Report Summary. Internal Report. CSD.AWM.22.071. 
22. Smith+Nephew 2022. Summary of RENASYS EDGE pump mechanical and electronic reliability testing. Internal Report. CSD.AWM.22.06
 

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