Absorbent Foam Dressings
Foam dressings are one of the many absorbent dressings available in the market now days. A normal foam dressing has an absorbent porous hydro cellular polyurethane center. This dressing is then laminated with a semi occlusive outer layer.
Several types of foam dressings have varying Moisture Vapor Transmission Rates (MVTRs) of their outer layers.
Moisture Vapor Transmission Rates basically defines the capacity of the foam to absorb. i.e. a dressings with the next Moisture Vapor Transmission Rates are mentioned to be semiocclusive and permit evaporation of moisture.
Foam dressings with the next MVTR have larger absorbent capacity and are sturdier i.e. they’ve longer wear occasions as in comparison with occlusive backings which have a lower MVTR.
Second era foam dressings may have pores of variable sizes. This allows partial fluid retention along with fluid exchange. If a dressing has bigger pore sizes this can permit moisture to be exchanged between the bottom of the ulcer and the dressing alternatively smaller sized pores get saturated and maintain again moisture from the wound.
Moisture is retained beneath the polyurethane backing in the lacunae of the cells. An area the place foam dressings come in useful is when the wound is highly exuding. The dressing helps preserve periwound maceration and the tissue injury associated with it to a minimum.
Dressings made of foam are mentioned to be nonocclusive and as a result are permeable to gases and water. This is useful as it lets the wound bed to breathe and permits quick evaporation of extra moisture.
A foam dressing without an occlusive backing the excess moisture will slowly evaporate from the exposed surface of a extremely exuding wound. Also the fluid may switch to extra absorbent secondary dressing.
These dressings are principally if not always nonbioresorbable and nonadherent. The benefit of these kinds of dressings is that they are often shaped to suit wounds of any size easily. This contains wounds that have deeper cavities.
Some specific foam come with a secondary coating which is on the dressing and wound floor junction. These specific dressing might have an adhesive or mushy silicone layer. The aim of the silicon layer is to cut back trauma that may happen to the wound mattress and likewise pain suffered by the affected person throughout dressing removal.
Foam dressings are indicated for use with extremely exudating venous ulcers but are contraindicated in dry wounds as in dry wounds there isn’t a requirement of absorbency of moisture.
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