How to change dressings at home?
Wet dressing change is an internationally recognized practice for wound care.
Compared to traditional dry dressings, the mechanism behind wet dressing is that a moist environment provides better healing conditions for the wound. It helps with cell regeneration, reduces wound pain, and promotes the formation of new blood vessels. Additionally, it has the advantage of preventing wound adhesion.
The steps for wet dressing change are typically as follows:
1、Use hand sanitizer or wear clean gloves.
2、Clean the wound and surrounding skin with sterile saline solution or lukewarm water-moistened gauze.
3、Place a clean, moist sterile gauze over the wound, ensuring it covers the entire wound area.
4、Cover the outer layer with dry gauze.
5、Secure the dressing with adhesive tape.
The dressing is changed three times a day. It is recommended to change the dressing every 8 hours, with roughly equal intervals between each dressing change. This frequency is especially suitable for wounds that show signs of infection or exudation. If the wound is dry and the granulation is fresh, Vaseline gauze can be used instead of wet gauze, and the dressing change time can be extended to once every 1 or 2 days.
Regularly assess the progress of the wound and closely monitor any signs of infection, such as redness, exudate, odor, or persistent pain. If any of these symptoms occur, consult a doctor promptly. In addition, experts from Dr.Smille Medical Group specifically advise against using alcohol-based disinfectants or ointments containing steroids on the wound.