Table 2.

Quantitative wound drainage tools

Quantitative tools
Name	Scale	Measurement of drainage	Other variables measured	Assessed by patient, caregiver, or HCP	Validated?	Example of study utilizing the scale
Number of dressing changes
Wound exudate score [16]	0–3	0 =  < 4 layers of gauze that the wound exudate wets through 1 = 4–7 layers of gauze that the wound exudate wets through 2 = 8–11 layers of gauze that the wound exudate wets through 3 =  > 12 layers of gauze that the wound exudate wets through		HCP	No	NA
DESIGN-R assessment of progression toward healing [17]	0–28	0 = None 1 = Slight; does not require daily dressing change 3 = Moderate; requires daily dressing change 6 = Heavy; requires dressing change more than twice a day	Wound depth, size, inflammation/infection, granulation, necrosis, and pocket	HCP	Yes	Pressure ulcers [38]
MEASURE method [13]	0–3	0 = none (no exudate) 1 = small (fully controlled, ± nonabsorptive dressing, wear time ≤ 7 days) 2 = moderate (controlled, ± absorptive dressing, wear time 2–3 days) 3 = large (uncontrolled, absorptive dressings required, dressing may be overwhelmed in < 1 day)	Measure (size), appearance, suffering, undermining, wound edge	HCP	No	Post-surgical [39] and chronic wounds [40]
NCT02732886 [18]		Mean number of dressing changes per day Total number of dressing changes until complete wound healing		HCP	No	NA
Wound Management Questionnaire (Elliott et al.) [6]		Has the leakage required bedding or clothes to be changed? Yes (If “Yes” how many times?) No	Fluid leakage in the last 24 h	Patient	No	See above
Saturation through dressing/clothing
Wound Fluid Quantification Score [19]		Absent = no moisture on gauze over 24 h Minimal =  < 5 cc fluid on gauze over 24 h Moderate = 5–10 cc fluid on gauze over 24 h High =  > 10 cc fluid on gauze over 24 h	Qualification of exudate (serious to purulent) and wound base (dry, granulating, ischemic, etc.)	HCP	No	NA
Treatment Evaluation by A Le Roux's Method (TELER) [20]	0–5	0 = dressing(s) and (bed)clothes are sodden 1 = dressing(s) and (bed)clothes are wet 2 = dressing(s) wet and (bed)clothes are damp 3 = dressing(s) wet and (bed)clothes are soiled in patches 4 = dressing(s) only is wet 5 = dressing(s) only is soiled		Patient or clinician	Yes	NA
Bates–Jenson Wound Assessment Tool (BWAT) [14]	1–60	1 = None (wound tissues dry) 2 = Scant (wound tissues moist, no measurable exudate) 3 = Small (wound tissues wet, drainage involves ≤ 25% dressing) 4 = Moderate (wound tissues saturated; involves 25%-75% of dressing) 5 = Large (wound tissues bathed in fluid, involves > 75% of dressing)	Size, edges, undermining, necrotic tissue, skin color, peripheral tissue edema, induration, granulation, epithelialization, drainage appearance (see Table 1)	HCP	Yes	See above
Stannard et al. wound grade criteria [21]	1–6	1 = No drainage 2 = Scant, no more than 3 small (< 4 mm) drops on removed dressing 3 = Minimal, 2 or less drops < 2 cm in size on removed dressing 4 = Mild, spots > 2 cm, not full length of incision on removed dressing 5 = Moderate, drainage along full length of incision on removed dressing 6 = Marked, soaks the dressing between changes		HCP	No	NA
Percent of wound affected
Additional treatment, Serous discharge, Erythema, Purulent exudate, Separation of deep tissues, Isolation of bacteria, and Stay (ASEPSIS) Score [22]	0–40	0 = 0% wound affected 1 =  < 20% wound affected 2 = 20–39% wound affected 3 = 40–59% wound affected 4 = 60–79% wound affected 5 =  > 80% wound affected	Additional treatment, erythema, and separation of the deep tissues, the isolation of bacteria, and the duration of inpatient stay	HCP	Yes	Surgical wounds [41]
Volume of drainage
NCT04656145 [23]		Total drainage: volume in cubic cm (via surgical drain)		HCP	No	NA
NCT03031314 [24]		Incision drainage in grams (dressing saturation size and weight)		HCP	No	NA
ESTimation method [25]		Wound cleansed, then covered with a transparent occlusive dressing. Fluid retained within the film was withdrawn using a micropipette. Collected samples were centrifuged, and volume of supernatant was measured using a micropipette in microliters, in units of ten. Volume per day was then calculated		HCP	No	NA
Skin humidity
Kekonen et al. [26]		Assess degree of skin humidity via measurement of skin impedance using electrical circuits/electrodes to identify differences in electrical conductivity (low skin impedance is correlated with higher exudate production)		HCP	No	NA
Moisture monitor
Henricson et al. [27]		Assess exudate levels via moisture sensor to determine when to change dressings for exudative wounds		HCP/Patient	No	NA

HCP Healthcare provider, NA not applicable