Dressings
and What They Do
I.
HYDROGELS:
Water based; some contain glycerin or saline; DermaSyn
contains Vitamin E and water; soothing; great for skin tears, diaper
blisters, Stage II pressure ulcers, First and Second degree burns; use
on wounds with little or no drainage; DO NOT USE ON MODERATE OR HEAVY
DRAINAGE WOUNDS - IT MAY MACERATE; DO NOT USE ON INFECTED WOUNDS.
II. HYDROCOLLOIDS:
Where the rubber hits the road; water loving Colloids, acetate, glues
mixed together; STAGE I OR II ULCERS ONLY - NOT ON INFECTED WOUNDS;
DermaFilm - semi-occlusive, protector.
III. ALGINATES: SEAWEED!!!!:
Loves heavily draining wounds; Pulls moisture away; DermaGinate
is a calcium alginate which absorbs 17x its weight!!; turns to a gel
and is easy to remove.
IV. TRANSPARENT FILMS:
See-through light film which traps light drainage; air permeable yet
waterproof; DermaView or DermaView II;
great for skin tears, as a cover dressing.
V. FOAMS:
Water loving, soft, cushy breathable material which absorbs yet cushions;
stays in place for three to 7 days; DermaLevin absorbs 4x more than
a hydrocolloid; use for low to moderate draining wounds; is water release!!!;
will fill a cavity; wicks "up" into the dressing instead of
out!
VI. SILVER:
New; yet old; silver has long been proven to decrease infection and
has wonderful effects on vascular ulcers; SilverDerm 7 is a long acting
silver dressing which has been ionized with silver; use it on a wound
for 7 days as a contact layer; cover it with sterile or tap water; NO
SALINE!!! It would deionize the dressing; use it on infected or non-infected
chronic arterial, venous, or pressure ulcers; may be used under compression
wrapping such as UNNA, Dynaflex, Profore; stops pain at a local level.
