Studies have shown that closed wounds heal faster than unclosed wounds. Part of the reason is that epidermal cells are easier to migrate in the moist environment created by the dressing. Another mechanism to promote wound healing might be the exposure of the wound to its own exudates. In addition to accelerating wound healing, wounds treated with sealing wound dressings are related to the formation of not obvious scars. A study taking pig skin as a model, randomly divided the research objects into ordinary dry gauze group and sealing wound dressings group, showed that compared with dry gauze, wounds covered by sealing dressing wound care products had accelerated inflammatory and the proliferative phases of the healing process, which was strongly related to the formation of not obvious scar.
Ⅰ. Indications for sealing wound dressing
1. Compression and bleeding are two major problems in wound management, and the application of sealing dressing wound care products can solve the related problems.
2. Topical ointments combined with sealing wound dressings can be used to maximize the pesticide effect. The sealing wound dressings can prevent moisture from evaporating and make the ointment seep into the wound thoroughly. And they can make the ointment seep into the wound gradually instead of absorbing the ointment and affecting its effect like other dressings.
3. Special allergen testing also is required for sealing wound dressings. While testing for suspected or potential allergens, sealing wound dressings can be applied to close wounds or special sites. Using sealing wound dressings like ultra absorbent wound dressings will prevent the allergen from evaporating, being taken away by other dressings (bandages, gauze) or being washed away.
4. Penetrating thoracic trauma (such as open pneumothorax) is an open channel in patients' chest that communicates with the outside air (Such as stab wound or gunshot wound). Sealing wound dressings can be used to cover and treat these open channels.
5. Sealing wound dressings also can be used for protection before surgery, since partial viscera might prolapse after surgery or other conditions.
6. Sealing wound dressings combined with gauze or sponges can maintain the wet environment of wounds. On the basis of sealing wound dressings, antibiotics, hydrogels, or other antibacterial ointments can be immersed into sealing wound dressings for wound treatment by chemical or physical methods.
7. Some small wounds and skin symptom can also benefit from sealing dressing wound care products, which can avoid the invasion of external contaminants and help speed up the wound healing and reduce the formation of scar tissue. Sometimes, new tattoos use sealing wound dressings to promote wound healing, prevent infection, and maintain the appearance of the tattoo.
Ⅱ. Contraindications for sealing wound dressing
1. Using sealing wound dressings might have some complications if pathogens are pre-existed at the injury site. As we all know, some patients use sealing wound dressings made of polyethylene film can promote the growth of abnormal skin flora.
2. Skin maceration with sealing wound dressings for a long time is an issue that needs to be paid closer attention to. The skin tissue surrounding the wound is often affected while using the sealing wound dressing to fix or cover the wound. After maceration, the skin tissue will be tender, feel moist, and look whiter than usual. In this weak state, the skin tissue will become more susceptible to be infected by bacteria, which might endanger the wound and its surrounding normal tissue.
The continuous emergence of new dressings on the medical market has indeed provided new therapies and new technologies for the treatment of clinical wounds, which has greatly shortened the wound healing time. However, each wound dressing has its own advantages and disadvantages. In the process of using, a comprehensive evaluation method should be adopted to evaluate the physiology, structure, treatment and care of the wound, the indications and contraindications of the dressing according to the healing stage of patients' wound, and integral Grasp it. Only by choosing the best dressings combined with the professional skills of health care professionals, can wound healing be effectively promoted.