Real change, real outcomes^1,2

Delivering real improvements in patient-centred care, for real people^1-15

ALLEVYN LIFE Foam Dressings with unique EXUMASK™ Change Indicator can help optimise dressing change management^1,2, with real world evidence highlighting an opportunity to make a real impact for your practice, patients and budgets^1-7. 

Promoting real results and patient outcomes
When implemented as part of standard care in real-world case studies, ALLEVYN LIFE Dressings demonstrated (compared to other dressings):

	Case study 1: Estimated cost saving of £48,349 and over 48,000 fewer foam dressings used over 8 months in one healthcare organisation5.
	Case study 2: Another healthcare organisation showed 89% of nurses had 1-2 fewer visits per week, with 130 weekly dressing change visits saved overall*7.
	Case study 3: Through use of ALLEVYN LIFE and ALLEVYN Gentle Border, an NHS Trust was able to reduce routine dressing changes and cut foam dressing costs by £82,000**8.

Real difference, by design

The unique EXUMASK™ Change Indicator offers a visual cue to let you and your patient know the best time to change the dressing⁹, to help avoid unnecessary changes.

Putting wound care back in the hands of patients and practices.

-    Real patient care: EXUMASK Change Indicator can reduce unnecessary dressing change requests⁸, with a masking layer to hide unsightly exudate strikethrough¹⁰, helping improve patient confidence and experience^1,3, compared to other dressings.
-    Real clinical needs: Exudate management is key to optimising dressing changes and wear time¹¹. ALLEVYN LIFE’s advanced exudate lock-in may help extend wear time by 79%, compared to other dressings².
-    Real change: As part of standard care, clinicians rated ALLEVYN LIFE Dressings better for over 90% of wounds⁶, and have been shown to save 2,500 nursing days per year, compared to other dressings².

An advanced multi-layer construction, featuring a gentle silicone contact layer, hyper-absorbent core and unique EXUMASK Change Indicator.

	Facilitates optimal healing with a moist wound environment3,9,12 to promote granulation and epithelialisation3, minimising the risk of maceration3,9,12.
	Provides a bacterial barrier13, proven to stay in place for up to 7 days***14.
	Highly absorbent12,15 core facilitates advanced exudate lock-in3,12,16,17, to help minimise odour3,18,19, reduce leakage and enhance wear time3,14 by responding to patient exudate20.
	Conformable3,18 and easy to lift or reposition21-23, with minimal pain and trauma on dressing removal3,4.

Available in a range of anatomical shapes and sizes, to help dressings stay in place^2,18.

Discover more about ALLEVYN LIFE, to make a real difference >

ALLEVYN LIFE in systematic, holistic and multidisciplinary daily practice.

Our new T.I.M.E. clinical decision support tool has been developed alongside expert clinicians to help give practitioners confidence in decision-making and reduce variations in clinical practice^24,25. Find out more >

See how ALLEVYN LIFE compared to MepilexTM Border Flex for fluid retention under pressure >

Helping you get CLOSER TO ZERO^◊ human & economic cost of wounds.

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.

*implemented as part of standard care protocols for 6 months.
**Wound care audit over 12 months. Average 2.6 dressings per wound per week.
***volunteer trial.

Image references

i)    Smith & Nephew, April 2016 2016.Wound Model Testing of New ALLEVYN Life Gen2 wcl Dressing using Horse Serum at a Flow Rate Modelling that of a Moderately Exuding Wound Data on File Report DS/14/303/R.- April 2016,
ii)    Smith & Nephew 2016.Product Performance of Next Generation ALLEVYN Life (HVT080). Internal Report. GMCA-DOF/08.
iii)Data on File Report DS/19/071R - ALLEVYN LIFE Absorbency Evaluation. March 2019.
iv)    Smith & Nephew May 2016 2016.New ALLEVYN Life Gen2 wcl - Physical Testing. Internal Report. DS/15/025/R.

References:
1)    Joy H, et al. A collaborative project to enhance efficiency through dressing change practice. Journal of wound care. 2015 Jul 2;24(7):312-7.
2)    Stephen-Haynes J, et al. An appraisal of the clinical performance and economic benefits of a silicone foam in a large UK primary care organisation. Journal of Community Nursing 2013.
3)    Rossington, A., Drysdale, K., and Winter, R. Clinical performance and positive impact on patient wellbeing of ALLEVYN Life. Wounds UK. 2013;9(4):91-95.
4)    Vowden, K., Molemen, N., Drysdale, K., Mistry, C., . An open, prospective randomised, multi-centre clinical evaluation of a hydrocellular silicone foam dressing* in the management of exuding chronic and acute wounds. Paper presented at: EWMA; 2011; Brussels.
5)    Audit data from a Welsh University Health Board, collated 2019.
6)    Krönert GT, et al. The impact of introducing a new foam dressing in community practice. EWMA Journal. 2016 Nov 1;16(2).
7)    Audit data from a Cornwall NHS Trust, collated June 2019.
8)    Audit data from a Tayside NHS trust, collated 2017-2019.
9)    Smith & Nephew 4 July 2018.Use of Moisture Vapour Permeability* (MVP) and Moisture Vapour Transmission Rate** (MVTR) data to support product claims referring to moist wound healing. Internal Report. EO.AWM.PCSgen.001.v1.
10)    Smith & Nephew February 2016. Subjective comparison of masking ability of the New ALLEVYN LIFE versus Current ALLEVYN LIFE by Healthcare Professionals. Internal Report. DS/16/061/R.
11)    Clinical Evaluation Team Report, 2019.
12)    Smith & Nephew May 2016 2016.New ALLEVYN Life Gen2 wcl - Physical Testing. Internal Report. DS/15/025/R.
13)    Smith & Nephew June 2016.Bacterial Barrier properties of New ALLEVYN™ LIFE Gen 2 WCL against Serratia marcescens. Internal Report. 1606005.
14)    Smith & Nephew 2018.An Open, Prospective, Randomised Volunteer Trial to Compare the Product Performance of Next Generation ALLEVYN Life with Mepilex Border and Current ALLEVYN Life. Internal Report. HVT080A 970A.
15)    Viamontes, L., Jones, A.M., .Evaluation study of the properties of two adhesive foam dressings. British Journal of Nursing (Tissue Viability Supplement). 2003;12(11):S43-S49.
16)    Smith & Nephew 20 June 2016.A Randomised Cross-Over Clinical Evaluation to Compare Performance of ALLEVYN™ Life and Mepilex® Border Dressings on Patient Wellbeing-Related Endpoints. Internal Report. CE/047/ALF.
17)    Smith & Nephew, April 2016 2016.Wound Model Testing of New ALLEVYN Life Gen2 wcl Dressing using Horse Serum at a Flow Rate Modelling that of a Moderately Exuding Wound.
18)    Simon, D., Biel, A. A structured collaborative approach to appraise the clinical performance of a new product. Wounds UK. 2014;10(3):80-87.
19)    Smith & Nephew 14 June 2012.Odour reducing properties of ALLEVYN Life. Internal Report. DS/12/127/DOF.
20)    Smith & Nephew 8 June 2016.Permeability of Hydrophillic Polyurethane Film when in contact with water and water vapour (ALLEVYN LIFE). Internal Report. RD/16/019.
21)    Smith & Nephew 2016.Product Performance of Next Generation ALLEVYN Life (HVT080). Internal Report. GMCA-DOF/08.
22)    Clarke, R. Positive patient outcomes: The use of a new silicone adhesive foam dressing for pressure ulcer prevention and treatment. Paper presented at: WOCN; 2013.
23)    Lisco, C. Evaluation of a new silicone gel-adhesive hydrocellular foam dressing as part of a pressure ulcer prevention plan for ICU patients. Paper presented at: WOCN; 2013.
24)    Swanson T, Duynhoven K, Johnstone D. Using the new T.I.M.E. Clinical Decision Support Tool to promote consistent holistic wound management and to eliminate variation in practice in Victoria, Australia: Part 1. Wounds International. 2019;10(2):38–47. Available at: https://www.woundsinternational.com/journals/latest-issue/wounds-international-journal
25)    Moore Z, Dowsett C, Smith G, et al. TIME CDST: an updated tool to address the current challenges in wound care. J Wound Care. 2019;28(3):154-161. Available at: Journal of Wound Care.

The Clinical Performance of a Silicone Foam in an NHS Community Trust

The NHS spends the majority of its budget on labour costs and it could be argued that frontline staff such as community nurses are the organisation’s most valuable resource. However, optimal wound care is dependent upon effective patient engagement, the application of clinical expertise and access to wound management products. The tension between increasing demands for services and the number of nurses is already causing problems in care provision as staff cuts and excessive workload inevitably endanger patient care. Enhancing efficiency through the use of innovative products will become essential in the future if nurses are to continue to provide expert care against a backdrop of cost-savings. This article details the appraisal process undertaken within Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust to investigates the in-practice clinical performance of a silicone foam dressing,  ALLEVYN Life.

Jackie Stephen-Haynes et al. Journal of Community Nursing, November 2013

Download Jackie Stephen-Haynes et al. Journal of Community Nursing, November 2013 Here (PDF: 394kb)

Clinical Performance and Positive Impact on Patient Wellbeing of ALLEVYN Life

ALLEVYN Life has been designed to incorporate specific dressing features designed to address key wound related issue of wellbeing. This article evaluates the clinical performance of ALLEVYN Life, as well as its ability to address the real life issues facing patients living with wounds, and assesses its impact on patient wellbeing.

Rossington et al. Wounds UK, November 2013, Vol 9, No 4

Download Rossington et al. Wounds UK, November 2013, Vol 9, No 4 Here (PDF: 863kb)

Improving Patient Wellbeing Through Dressing Choice

This webcast is introduced by Professor Keith Harding CBE, and includes presentations from Trudie Young and Tarnia Harrison. Tarnia Harrison, a tissue viability nurse specialist, talks about the importance of improving patient wellbeing through dressing choice and share some of her experience with using ALLEVYN Life.

To view the webcast click on the link below:

http://www.woundsinternational.com/webcasts/webcast-improving-patient-wellbeing-through-dressing-choice

A Structure Collaborative Approach to Appraise the Clinical Performance of a New Product and Understand Potential Benefits for Practice Efficiency

This poster details the appraisal process used to examine the in-practice performance of ALLEVYN Life in order to determine its suitability for use ahead of it being considered for a formulary listing. The objective being to ensure that the process of considering a product for listing is fully informed by as much robust in-practice clinical data as possible such that the potential value to be gained from adding a new product can be clearly understood.

Simon et al. Poster presentation, Wounds UK conference Harrogate 2013.

Download Simon et al. Poster presentation, Wounds UK conference Harrogate 2013 Here (PDF: 142kb)

Case Studies

ALLEVYN Life dressings provide wound management by secondary intention for:

• Shallow, granulating wounds
• Chronic and acute exudative wounds
• Full and partial thickness wounds such as pressure ulcers, leg ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers
• Malignant wounds
• Surgical wounds
• First and second degree burns
• Donor sites
• Skin tears 
• Fungating ulcers
• ALLEVYN Life may be used on infected wounds. Where the product is used on infected wounds, the wounds should be treated as per local clinical protocol.

Application

To apply ALLEVYN Life follow the steps below:

1. Cleanse the wound in accordance with local clinical protocol.
2. Select an appropriate dressing size.
3. Prepare and clean the skin surrounding the wound area and remove excess moisture. Any excess hair should be clipped to ensure close approximation to the wound.
4. Using a clean technique remove one of the protector films from ALLEVYN Life and anchor the adhesive side of the dressing to the skin. Smooth the dressing over the wound ensuring there are no creases. When positioning ALLEVYN Life Sacrum dressings, place the narrow end of the dressing a minimum of 2cm (3/4in.) above the anal sphincter, then smooth the dressing over the sacrum.
5. Remove the remaining protector film and smooth the dressing over the remainder of the wound without stretching, ensuring no creases. Only the pad area of the dressing must be adhered across the entire surface of the wound. 
6. ALLEVYN Life can be used to dress awkward areas such as elbows; the dressing corner lobes can be overlapped when positioning the dressing, ensuring no creasing or stretching occurs.

Application: Flat

Application: Joint

Application: Heel

Application: Sacrum

When to Change

Dressings can be left in place undisturbed for up to 7 days, except the sacral area where dressings can be left in place for up to 5 days, depending on the condition of the wound and the surrounding skin, or until exudate covers more than 50% of the absorbent pad outside of the central screen.

The above is guidance and the decision of when to change should be dependent upon clinical assessment and local protocols should also be taken into consideration.

If dressings are applied to the sacral area, due to the increased potential for contamination and infection in this area, increased monitoring of dressing adherence may be required as per local clinical protocols.

Dressing Removal

To remove ALLEVYN Life, lift the edge of the dressing and slowly peel back until completely removed from the wound. ALLEVYN Life Sacrum should be removed from the top edge down towards the anus to minimise the potential for faecal contamination.

Removal: Flat

Removal: Joint

Removal: Heel

Removal: Sacrum