Patients may experience discomfort and pain when a dressing is removed from a wound if the gauze is stuck there by blood or discharge. Not only may taking off a sticking dressing cause agony to the patient, but it can also interfere with the body’s newly formed healing layer, causing recovery to be slowed down and infection chances to increase.
A smart way to handle this is by adaptic dressing which is a type of non-adhering dressing that is composed of knitted fabric of cellulose acetate. Moreover, it is also impregnated with petroleum emulsion for a protective layer.
This type of dressing saves time that a nurse may need to spend more time changing dressings if they have multiple dressings to replace throughout a shift because difficulty removing dressings delays the process.
Without this technique, a nurse to decrease the likelihood of dressings adhering to wounds and raise patient satisfaction may use moist dressing procedures with materials like calcium alginate dressings, hydrocolloid dressings, and petrolatum emulsion dressings.
How Does Adaptic Dressing Work?
One of the major reasons why changing a dressing can be painful is the adhering factor of the dressing, which sticks it to the open wound.
However, this is where adaptic dressing turns out to be a great alternative. An adaptic wound dressing is made with a unique mesh-like structure which keeps it from sticking to the wound and helps the regeneration of the tissue during the healing procedure. Thus, adaptic dressing reduces the level of trauma that a patient might experience when getting the dressing changed.
Adaptic dressing is not only a less painful option but allows faster healing of the wound as well. This happens as adaptic dressing does not cause trauma to the same wound and allows tissue regeneration without interference.
What Are The Different Uses Of Adaptic Dressing?
Adaptic dressing is recommended for dry to heavily oozing wounds where it is necessary to avoid dressing adhesion and exudate, such as:
- Grafts
- Eczema
- Pressure Injuries
- Venous Ulcers
- Abrasions and Lacerations
- Surgical Incisions and Reconstruction Procedures
- Staples and Suture Lines
- 1st and 2nd Degree burns
What Are The Unique Benefits Of Adaptic Dressing?
Although the dressing adaptic is available in several sizes, one benefit of the product is its tight mesh design, which makes it possible to trim the dressing to the desired length without worrying about any loose pieces remaining after dressing changes.
Simultaneously, this mesh lets discharge from the wound seep into the secondary dressing that sits on top of it, preventing moisture from remaining on the skin and potentially causing breakdown.
Some other major benefits of dressing adaptic are as follows:
- Aids in preventing adhesion of the dressing
- Offers protection during tissue regeneration
- Reduces discomfort and trauma experienced by the patient when changing the dressing
- Does not allow the pooling of the discharge around the wound while minimizing the chances of infections
- Facilitates the passage of discharge from the wound to the secondary absorbent dressing
- Allows the dressing to be cut to the appropriate size without disintegrating and fragmenting
How To Use Adaptic Dressing?
There are some crucial instructions that users must read before the application of adaptic wound dressing. The following are key points to remember when using adaptic dressing:
- You must pick the right size of the dressing adaptic. It is suggested to pick adaptic dressing size larger than the size of the wound. Sterile scissors can also be used to cut the dressing to the right size.
- The wound must be prepared for the adaptic dressing before the application of the dressing. This includes drying of the wound.
- Now, the dressing adaptic shall be placed over the wound directly with the use of tools like forceps and tongs. This would allow smooth placement of the dressing around the wound.
- When using multiple adaptic dressing pieces, make sure the dressings overlap to prevent the adherence of secondary dressing to the wound. It is best to reduce overlap to avoid obstructing holes.
- A layer of secondary dressing is not placed over the adaptic dressing layer. The secondary layer of dressing can be chosen based on the discharge level. Any secondary layer or bandage for retention or compression can be applied.
- The frequency of dressing changes is determined by wound care best practices and the state of the wound. The adaptic dressing can be used for a few days, depending on the volume of exudate.
Difference Between Moist Adaptic Dressing And Dry Dressing Options:
Many studies have been conducted on the benefits of moist adaptic dressings over dry dressings. It used to be thought that moisture in the environment surrounding a wound would promote bacterial development and infection. With the use of appropriate dressing materials and methods, this has been refuted over time.
In comparison to dry dressing conditions, moist or wet environments for wound healing, such as adaptic dressing enhance tissue regrowth, accelerate the healing process, and reduce the production of scars. The mesh structure of the adaptic dressing promotes healing while letting the discharge get absorbed into the secondary layer of the dressing.
As a result, there is no overflow around the wound, and the dressing is not adhered to the wound through fluids. Ultimately, changing adaptic dressing also becomes much easier and more comfortable when compared to dry dressing options.
Reduced Patient Discomfort With Adaptic dressing:
In addition to the health advantages, such as faster wound healing, it is critical to reduce patient discomfort when changing dressings. Patients may become more stressed, require more pain medication, and fail to follow through on dressing changes as a result of their anticipatory anxiety of pain before a change.
The simplicity of applying and removing the adaptic dressing significantly eliminates the patient’s pain or discomfort over the removal of the dressing. It has been seen that the appearance of the wound is much better when adaptic dressing is removed. In a nutshell, adaptic wound dressing has a minimal soaking requirement, less painful removal experience, and less maceration of the wound as well.
Takeaway!
Adaptic wound dressing is a great alternative to conventional dressing options as it offers significant benefits like reduced pain and faster healing. The right product and technique must be used when applying adaptic wound dressing to ensure that there is no risk of infection and the wound heals as fast as possible.
