How do I choose an appropriate wound dressing?
An ideal dressing should have the ability to maintain moisture balance in the wound, promote oxygen exchange, isolate proteases, stimulate growth factors, prevent infection, facilitate autolytic debridement, and promote the production of granulation tissue and re-epithelialization (Moura et al., 2013).
Which dressing is most appropriate for wounds with heavy drainage?
Alginate dressings can absorb up to 20 times their weight in wound fluid, which makes them effective for wounds with moderate to heavy exudate.
What guidelines should be followed when treating a wound?
These guidelines can help you care for minor cuts and scrapes:
- Wash your hands. This helps avoid infection.
- Stop the bleeding.
- Clean the wound.
- Apply an antibiotic or petroleum jelly.
- Cover the wound.
- Change the dressing.
- Get a tetanus shot.
- Watch for signs of infection.
What is the best dressing to promote wound healing?
The absorbency of foam dressing helps to promote faster healing times as the dressing efficiently absorbs excess fluids from the wounds surface while still keeping it moist2. The moisture kept inside the wound from foam dressings promotes faster healing times while protecting the area from infection.
What is a low adherent dressing?
Low adherence dressings are used as interface layers under secondary absorbent dressings. Placed directly on the wound bed, non-absorbent, low adherence dressings are suitable for clean, granulating, lightly exuding wounds without necrosis, and protect the wound bed from direct contact with secondary dressings.
Which of the following types of dressings would be best used to apply pressure to a wound with severe bleeding?
Some major wound dressings are labelled as BPC or BP (because they are listed in the British Pharmacopoeia) and consist of a sterile combine dressing with attached bandage. They are ideal to fill crater wounds or to control severe bleeding. Sterile gauze squares are used mainly for cleaning a wound.
What is the principles of wound dressing?
Dressing is an essential element of standard wound care. The main purpose of wound dressing is: a) provide a temporary protective physical barrier, b) absorb wound drainage, and c) provide the moisture necessary to optimize re-epithelialization.
What kind of dressing is used for wound exudate?
An adhesive, absorbent dressing containing sodium carboxymethylcellulose, which forms a gel on contact with wound exudate; and alginate, which assists in the absorption of exudate
What are the objectives of a wound dressing?
Objectives of wound dressing to reduce pain, to apply compression for haemorrhage or venous stasis, to immobilise an injured body part, to protect the wound and surrounding tissue. to promote moist wound healing.
What can I use to irrigate a wound?
Any gelled dressing material left on the wound can be irrigated away using warmed sodium chloride 0.9% solution or warmed tap water. When applying the dressing, a 3cm overlap of the wound margin is needed to ensure a seal. Removal. Press down gently on the skin and carefully lift one corner of the dressing, stretching each edge until free.
How long should you leave a secondary dressing on a wound?
May require secondary dressing Can be used directly on wound site. Conforms to body contours, good pain relief and controls oedema, Remains permeable allowing exudate to escape and be washed and dried off wound. Dressing changes can be left for 5-7 days.