What is a Wound Dressing?
A wound dressing is anything that is used in direct contact with a wound to aid its healing and protect against further problems or difficulty. Various wound dressings are used based on the kind of the wound but they all goal to help decrease infection.
Wound Dressing Change Instructions:
Now you have the consummate dressing and you know how to change the dressing. The question remains of how frequently the dressing should be removed and changed with a new one. When ought to replace the dressing on a wound? Do you change the dressing day to day more frequently or less frequently might it should be changed every two or three days? Changing your dressing is an easy process and follows the same few rules every time:
- Wash your hands clean.
- Put on Clean gloves.
- Take off the old dressing and dispose of it.
- Clean the wound.
- Wash your hands.
- Put on clean gloves.
- Apply the new dressing and save it in the area.
How frequently a dressing is changed will rely on the wound and the kind of dressing you are using. Your doctor will tell you how frequently it should be changed if the dressing falls off becomes too wet or gets dirty from the outside of the dressing. These are all times you will as well as required to apply a new bandage. Your doctor may decide that an ointment is best for your wound.
Some ointments are used to prevent normal skin others help kill bacteria, and germs and some may even aid the wound in heal quickly. One ointment generally prescribed is silver sulfadiazine and this has antimicrobial properties. There is no one top ointment for wound treatment. Every wound is distinct a specialized wound doctor should be consulted to handle your wound and prescribe the right kind of treatment for you.
Type of wound dressing:
Gauze Dressings:
Gauze dressings are made of inwoven or non-inwoven materials and come in a vast difference of shapes and sizes.
Pros: usually easily available might be less than another dressing kind that could be used on virtually any kind of wound.
Cons: must be changed often which may add to overall charges and may adhere to the wound bed must be combined with another dressing kind frequently not effective for moist wound healing.
Transparent Films:
Transparent film dressings allow oxygen to enter through the dressing to the wound while simultaneously allowing moisture vapor to be released. These dressings are commonly composed of polyurethane material.
Pros: conforms to the wound well can stay in the site for up to one week help in autolytic debridement protect friction against the wound bed doesn’t require to be removed to suppose the wound keeps the wound bed dry and protect bacterial contamination of the wound.
Cons: may stick to some wounds not suitable for massively draining wounds and may raise peri-wound maceration due to its restrictive nature.
Foams:
Foam dressings are low and apt to stick to fine wound beds are nonrestrictive and are composed of a film-coated gel or a watery polyurethane material.
Pros: comfortable will not stick to the wound bed and is more absorptive.
allow for low often dressing changes, depending on the quantity of wound exudate comes in a lot of shapes and sizes.
Cons: may need a secondary dressing to take the foam in the site if not changed frequently adequate may rise peri-wound maceration can’t be used on wounds with body or wounds that are not draining. some foams might not be appropriate for certain wounds. Similar to those that are infected or tunneling.
Hydrocolloids:
Hydrocolloid dressings are very absorptive and contain colloidal particles similar to methylcellulose, gelatin, or pectin that swell into a gel-like mass when theos arrive in contact with exudate. They have a strong sticky basis.
Pros: stimulate autolytic debridement give insulation to the wound bed waterproof and impermeable to bacteria, urine, or stool give abstemious absorptive of exudate.
Cons: leave a residue present in the wound bed which might be incorrect for infection and may roll over certain body sites that are prone to friction and can’t be used in the existence of infection.
Alginates:
Alginate dressings contain salts that arise from certain species of brown seaweed. They might be inwoven or non-inwoven and form a watery gel when they come in contact with exudate from the wound.
Pros: more absorptive might be used on wounds that have infection present are independent stimulate autolytic debridement.
Cons: always need a 2nd dressing may reason desiccation of the wound bed and also drying exposed tendon, capsule, or bone.
Composites:
Composite or fusion dressings might be used as the 1st dressing or as a 2nd dressing. These dressings might be made from any fusion of dressing kinds but are just a fusion of a moisture retentive dressing and a gauze dressing.
Pros: vastly available and easy for clinicians to use.
Cons: might be highly expensive and a problem to store low option/flexibility in indications for use.
Steps to applying or changing Wound Dressing:
When applying a new wound care dressing it is a necessity to follow a few easy steps.
Step one:
▷ Collect all of your wound care material that you will require to change the dressing.
▷ Clean gloves
▷ A clean surface to site everything on similar to a clean piece of aluminum foil or clean paper.
▷ The new bandage to be applied
▷ Saline or wound cleaner to clean the wound
▷ Various pieces of gauze to use in cleaning or wiping the wound
▷ Trash polythene.
Step two:
Wash your hands with soap and warm water for 30 seconds and sanitize. Later wash and dry your hands put on clean gloves to remove the old dressing and carry out the dressing removal step. Watch if there is fluid or drainage and record the drainage or wound fluid that is on the gauze. Wounds with a many of fluid draining from them are exuding wounds. Now clean the wound by clean with some cotton pads and saline or wound cleanser. Clean the wound in small circles from the mid of the wound outward and after all the skin around the wound border. You may require various pieces of a transparent cotton pad. Dispose of the grotty bandage, gauze used to clean the wound, and dirty gloves in the dustbin.
Step three:
Measure the wound and record the shape and size or swell of the wound. Measuring ought to happen any time the wound looks distinct and at least once per week. Write the evaluation down so you can provide them to your doctor or nurse.
Step four:
Rewash your hands with soap and water for 40 seconds and dry them. Take on a new set of clean gloves. Now you will apply the new wound medication and dressing. Your doctor may prescribe a medicine to apply, such as an ointment, a gel, a liquid, or a spray. The treatment should be applied as directed and, if required to spread it beyond the wound whip cotton-tipped applicator like a Q-tip should be used.
The 1st dressing will then be covered by a 2nd dressing. The dressing may have a portion that sticks to the skin to hold it in the site or you may require to use tape to save the secondary dressing. If no 2nd dressing is used you may require to safe the 1stdressing with bandage tape.