Hydrogels and hydrocolloids: an objective product comparison.

It is difficult for providers to make selections from the vast array of currently available wound care products. There has been a paucity of objective data generated by a non-biased source comparing one product to another. In order for our Wound Care Team to recommend products for system-wide formulary purchase and patient use, we needed to develop a process for product comparison. A strategy for objective evaluation of hydrocolloid and amorphous hydrogel products was created, and these products were assessed clinically by experienced wound care providers. Laboratory testing included measurement of each product's ability to absorb water versus normal saline versus actual patient wound fluid. There were major differences in various products' abilities to absorb the fluids. These objective data from the laboratory, along with the subjective comparison of clinical performance, allowed our Wound Care Team to objectively rank the hydrocolloids and hydrogels and include those preferred products in our Wound Care Product Formulary.