Exudates and Transudates

To investigate factors associated with reduced visual acuity during long-term follow-up of patients with idiopathic central serous chorioretinopathy (ICSC). Retrospective consecutive case series that included patients with ICSC who were younger than 50 years of age at the time of initial examination and were followed up for > or =3 years. The mean follow-up for 101 involved eyes of 61 patients was 9.8 years (median, 8.0 years). Eyes were stratified into two groups based on visual acuity at the final examination: Group 1, visual acuity of 2040 or better; and Group 2, visual acuity of worse than 2040. Findings identified as potential risk factors for reduced vision at the final follow-up examinations for Group 1 versus Group 2 included the following: macular retinal pigment epithelium atrophy (90.8% versus 96.0%, respectively; P = 0.68); persistent pigment epithelial detachment or persistent subretinal fluid (5.3% versus 28.0%, respectively; P = 0.004); recurrences (39.5% versus 68.0%, respectively; P = 0.020); laser treatment (28.9% versus 32.0%, respectively; P = 0.80); and submacular choroidal neovascularization (0.0 versus 8.0%, respectively; P = 0.059). Factors associated with reduced visual acuity during long-term follow-up of patients with ICSC included persistent pigment epithelial detachment and/or subretinal fluid, recurrences, and submacular choroidal neovascularization.

In 2004, a multidisciplinary expert panel convened at the Tucson Expert Consensus Conference (TECC) to determine appropriate use of negative pressure wound therapy as delivered by a Vacuum Assisted Closure device (V.A.C. THERAPY, KCI, San Antonio, Texas) in the treatment of diabetic foot wounds. These guidelines were updated by a second multidisciplinary expert panel at a consensus conference on the use of V.A.C. THERAPY, held in February 2006, in Miami, Florida. This updated version of the guidelines summarizes current clinical evidence, provides practical guidance, offers best practices to clinicians treating diabetic foot wounds, and helps direct future research. The Miami consensus panel discussed the following 12 key questions regarding V.A.C. (1) How long should V.A.C. THERAPY be used in the treatment of a diabetic foot wound? (2) Should V.A.C." THERAPY be applied without debriding the wound? (3) How should the patient using V.A.C. THERAPY be evaluated on an outpatient ba...

Wound exudate is all too often perceived as a clinical management problem. While this can be the case, it should be recognized that exudate does fulfill an important function in the healing process. Gradual acceptance of the benefits of moist wound healing, combined with the current goals of the 'ideal' moist environment, focuses attention on the role of exudate. This review is intended to define the components and functions of 'normal' exudate and differentiate it from abnormal exudate.

To understand the personal impact of venous leg ulceration from the patients' perspective. Face-to-face, unstructured interviews were conducted with nine patient participants with venous leg ulcers. The interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim and, using thematic analysis, the themes and subthemes which impacted on quality of life were identified. Four core themes were identified: the ulcer, symptoms, wound management and effects on daily life, with 16 subthemes that negatively impacted on quality of life (QoL) also identified. This qualitative study offers a valuable insight into the complex issues that impact on daily living for this patient group. The implications of the findings are far reaching and suggest that proactive symptom management and the fostering of a patient focus to consultations may improve QoL and encourage the patient to engage as an active partner in his/her management plan; both of which are explored in the subsequent phases of the larger s...

In 2004, a multidisciplinary expert panel convened at the Tucson Expert Consensus Conference (TECC) to determine appropriate use of negative pressure wound therapy as delivered by a Vacuum Assisted Closure device (V.A.C. THERAPY, KCI, San Antonio, Texas) in the treatment of diabetic foot wounds. These guidelines were updated by a second multidisciplinary expert panel at a consensus conference on the use of V.A.C. THERAPY, held in February 2006, in Miami, Florida. This updated version of the guidelines summarizes current clinical evidence, provides practical guidance, offers best practices to clinicians treating diabetic foot wounds, and helps direct future research. The Miami consensus panel discussed the following 12 key questions regarding V.A.C. (1) How long should V.A.C. THERAPY be used in the treatment of a diabetic foot wound? (2) Should V.A.C." THERAPY be applied without debriding the wound? (3) How should the patient using V.A.C. THERAPY be evaluated on an outpatient ba...