Test of the Safety, Effectiveness, & Acceptability of An Improvised Dressing for Sickle Cell Leg Ulcers in the Tropics

A saline soaked piece of gauze, conformed to the size of the open ulcer area, will be placed over the ulcer and held in place with a wrap of stretch gauze. Ulcers will be rinsed with saline at daily dressing changes, which will be conducted by the patient after they master the procedure.

A piece of a new food-grade plastic bag, cut slightly larger than the ulcer, will be placed over the ulcer, sealed at the edges with an emollient to create an occlusive dressing. The dressing will be gently conformed to the ulcer contours to eliminate dead space, and a slit will be cut in the center to allow excess fluid to escape into a clean absorbent material placed over the slit. The device will be held in place with a wrap of stretch gauze. Ulcers will be rinsed with saline at daily dressing changes, which will be conducted by the patient after they master the procedure.

A piece of polymeric membrane dressing, cut to extend at least 0.5cm beyond the open ulcer edges, will be placed over the ulcer and held in place with a wrap of stretch gauze. The approximate wound edges will be marked on the back of the dressing. Dressing changes will consist only of removing the dressing when the saturation level, visible through the wound backing, reaches the mark indicating the dressing edges and applying a new cut dressing. Changes will be conducted by the patient after they master the procedure.