▁ 1 ▁week ▁to ▁ 6 ▁weeks ▁or ▁more . ▁Current ▁recommend ations ▁are ▁that ▁ant ib iot ics ▁are ▁only ▁used ▁when ▁there ▁is ▁evidence ▁of ▁in fection ▁and ▁continued ▁until ▁there ▁is ▁evidence ▁that ▁the ▁in fection ▁has ▁cleared , ▁instead ▁of ▁evidence ▁of ▁ul cer ▁he aling . ▁Cho ice ▁of ▁ant ib i otic ▁depends ▁on ▁common ▁local ▁b acter ial ▁stra ins ▁known ▁to ▁inf ect ▁ul cers . ▁Micro bi ological ▁sw abs ▁are ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁of ▁limited ▁value ▁in ▁ident ifying ▁caus ative ▁stra in . ▁Micro bi ological ▁investigation ▁is ▁of ▁value ▁in ▁cases ▁of ▁o ste omy el itis . ▁Most ▁ul cer ▁in fe ctions ▁involve ▁multiple ▁micro organ isms . ▁ ▁W ound ▁dress ings ▁There ▁are ▁many ▁types ▁of ▁dress ings ▁used ▁to ▁treat ▁di ab etic ▁foot ▁ul cers ▁such ▁as ▁absor pt ive ▁fill ers , ▁hydro gel ▁dress ings , ▁and ▁hydro col lo ids . ▁There ▁is ▁no ▁good ▁evidence ▁that ▁one ▁type ▁of ▁dress ing ▁is ▁better ▁than ▁another ▁for ▁di ab etic ▁foot ▁ul cers . ▁In ▁selecting ▁dress ings ▁for ▁chron ic ▁non ▁he aling ▁w ounds ▁it ▁is ▁recommended ▁that ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁the ▁product ▁be ▁taken ▁into ▁account . ▁ ▁H ydro gel ▁dress ings ▁may ▁have ▁shown ▁a ▁slight ▁advantage ▁over ▁standard ▁dress ings , ▁but ▁the ▁quality ▁of ▁the ▁research ▁is ▁of ▁concern . ▁D ress ings ▁and ▁cre ams ▁containing ▁silver ▁have ▁not ▁been ▁properly ▁studied ▁nor ▁have