A new supplement to the Journal of Wound Care addresses the increasing recognition of the relationship between wounds and chronic oedema. The supplement presents three papers which are dedicated to the relationship between wounds and chronic oedema, ILF’s international survey to explore outcome measures in chronic oedema and lymphoedema, and finally an international study to explore the challenges faced by the medical device industry in the development of compression products and reimbursement. 

Christine Moffatt and Susan Nørregaard write in their foreword: “Despite these challenges, chronic oedema is emerging from its hidden ‘Cinderella’ status to one where it is increasingly recognised as an important public health concern across the world. Alongside this awareness is the important need for a joined-up approach for management of patients with both wounds and chronic oedema. This is a truly global problem, with evidence of this problem in countries such as African nations and India, which are endemic for lymphatic filariasis, and other low-resource countries. This underpins the need to harness the two specialist fields and bring them together in an effective strategy that could change the lives of millions of people suffering unnecessarily due to poor care.”

The Chronic Oedema Supplement is published with open access. Registration is required. Read and download here.