Post operative blistering
Preventing post operative blistering
By
: Mölnlycke Health Care, December 19 2011Posted in: Post operative blistering
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Preventing post operative blistering is a multi faceted issue however some of the following aspects may help to prevent post operative blistering:
- Correct dressing choice
- Correct dressing application procedures
- Limiting removal episodes
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"Selecting the right dressing for post operative wounds can prevent blistering, maceration and the risk of infection. Ideally, the dressing should be permable, waterproof, transparent, absorbent and flexible enough to withstand joint movement"16
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Mepilex® Border has been clinically demonstrated to help minmise post operative blistering in hip and knee arthroplasty patients. A number healthcare practitioners have now added the use of Mepilex Border to their post operative management protocols and have documented the impact in outcome improvement programmes.
DeMyst G & Meuleneire F |
2010 |
A case study series evaluation of a silicone coated foam dressing in the treatment of patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery. |
Poster presentation at the EWMA conference Geneva, Switzerland, 2010. |
Catharina Johansson et al |
2011 |
An assessment of a self-adherent, soft silicone dressing in post-operative wound care following hip and knee arthroplasty |
Poster presentation at the EWMA conference Brussels, Belgium, 2011. |
Tiina Pukki et al |
2007 |
A survey of nursing practitioners to assess the performance of an all-in-one soft silicone foam dressing in post-operative wound care |
Poster presentation at the EWMA conference Glasgow, UK, 2007. |
Tiina Pukki et al |
2010 |
Assessing Mepilex Border in post-operative wound care |
Wounds uk, 2010, Vol 6, No 1 |
One of the most recent studies was an observational study examining the use of Mepilex Border in the treatment of post-operative knee and hip arthroplasty wounds.17
In this study 146 patients had Mepilex Border applied in the operating theatre: the dressings remained in place until the fourth post-operative day when the initial routine dressing change was performed. At dressing change, nurses used a case report form to document the presence of blisters and other skin reactions, wound exudate, level ease of application and removal and an overall evaluation of the dressing.
Not one single blister was reported in any of the patients. The overall judgment of the dressing was reported to ‘very good’ in 87% of cases.