Proper wound care is absolutely crucial when it comes to healing. Whether you’ve suffered a minor cut, major surgical incision, or have a bedsore, understanding how to treat and care for wounds is the only way to ensure a speedy recovery. That’s why our team of wound care specialists are here. We provide wound care to you or your loved ones so that they’re given the best opportunity for healing.
What are dressings?
Wound dressings are applied by physicians and nurses to help wounds heal and prevent infection or further complications. Dressings stop any bleeding and encourage the body to begin clotting. This is the first step in healing. They absorb excess blood, plasma, and other fluids to prevent them from leaking all over your clothing or bedding. And, they are an important part of the overall healing process.
Dressing Types
There are several dressing types available. Your physician or nurse will help determine which one would work best for you. Much of their decision making will be based on the type of wound that is being treated, its current state (necrotic, infected, etc.) and your health as an individual.
Used on burns, hydrocolloid dressings are used on light or moderately draining wounds, pressure ulcers (bed sores), donor sites, and more. These dressings help with wound debridement and help keep the wound moist while blocking oxygen. They play a huge role in limiting and blocking infection.
Wounds that have little to no excess fluid, like second degree or higher burns, require hydrogel dressings. This dressing allows moisture to stay at the surface of the wound, allowing for a natural environment for cleaning the wood and for the body to rid itself of dead tissue.
Treatment for chronic wounds, ulcers, surgical wounds and wounds with a large surface area would benefit from a collagen dressing. These dressings include collagen, the protein that gives skin its strength and flexibility. These dressings help with the formulation of new collagen fibers and granulation tissues.
Alginate dressings are used for moderate to high amounts of wound drainage. Made from seaweed, these dressings have a high absorption rate due to the formation of hydrophilic gel. They also help the body produce additional collagen to accelerate healing.
Understanding how to care for a wound is an important task that requires the expertise of a physician. Each wound is unique in its own way. Whether it’s stubborn and won’t heal, chronically infected, or simply a deep and sure to take a long time to heal, proper wound treatment can accelerate healing and help get a patient to a better quality of life.
Contact our team of experienced wound care specialists to learn how we can help get you or your loved one on a path to healing. Don’t let a stubborn wound interfere with your quality of life.