Moisture level Exudate

Exudate is actually a product of inflammation. In other words: no inflammation, no exudate. Also the amount of exudates correlates with the extent of the inflammation. This is because the wound fluid (exudates) is the transport medium for the cells that are recruited at the wound site. The composition of wound fluid in "complicated" wounds (i.e. pressure ulcers, diabetic ulcers and vascular ulcers) has been shown to differ markedly from that in acute wounds. This composition is seen as an indicator for healing.17

Moistness of the Wound drymoistwet

It is now known that wounds heal much better in a moist environment. Moistness improves collagen synthesis and increases the rate of granulation and epithelialisation.

DRY dry

A wound in itself is not dry. The tissue in the wound however can dry-out by exposure to the air. This is an unwanted situation as all the healing processes cannot take place when the tissue is dehydrated. Restoring the wound tissue to "moist" condition has to be the aim of wound management.

MOIST moist

Although there's no absolute known measure of the production of wound fluid, it is generally accepted that the condition at the wound surface should be kept in moist conditions. Following on this notion any deviation of "moist" is regarded harmful to the tissues in the wound:

WET wet

Wounds can be extremely wet due to inflammation, edema or infection. This extreme, also called maceration is detrimental for the cells that are responsible for wound healing. The aim of wound management thus should be the absorption of the surplus of wound fluid and thereby restoring the tissue to "moist" condition conducive to healing.