Alginate Dressings - Introduction | How it Works | How to Use | Types | Which Dressing to Buy
What is Alginate Dressing?
Alginate dressing, also known as seaweed dressing for wounds, can be used for heavily exuding wounds. These dressings are biodegradable in nature and provide a moist wound healing environment. They have sodium and calcium fibers which have water-insoluble gelatinous properties that absorb large amounts of exudates without any discomfort or saturation. When this wound dressing comes into contact with the exudate, it forms a soft, integral gel that conforms to the wound contours. These alginate wound dressings do not stick to the delicate healing tissues and are easy to remove.
Why Choose Seaweed Wound Dressings?
- Calcium alginate is ideal for deep cavity wounds because the gel formed on coming into contact with the exudate conforms to the wound site.
- These dressings are biodegradable and promote autolytic debridement.
- Removal is easy with saline irrigation without causing any trauma to the wound or disturbing the healing granulation tissue.
How Do Alginate Wound Dressings Work?
When initially applied to an open wound, these dressings are dry and become broader and more gel-like as they draw in fluids. This helps clear the wound, prevents the wound from becoming dry, and protects it from harmful bacteria, aiding in minimizing the risk of infection. These dressings also help encourage new skin growth during the wound healing process by ensuring that the wound area stays moist. This facilitates natural debridement by enzymes, complementing the wound treatment offered in a clinical setting by wound care practitioners. The debridement process removes dead or damaged skin, promoting a healthy environment that helps heal wounds. Alginate wound care dressings can also assist with bleeding wounds. In these dressings, calcium helps regulate the flow of blood, which slows down bleeding.
How to Use an Alginate Dressing?
Treating wounds with this dressing is an easy process if you follow the correct wound care procedure using the following steps:
- Clean the wounded area with normal saline solution
- Pat dry the around the wound
- Place the dressing around the wound
- Secure alginate wound care dressing with a secondary dressing to hold it in place
- The frequency of changing the dressing should be every one to three days or when fluid starts to seep out from the edge of the dressing.
- While changing the dressing, use saline to dampen it, so damage to surrounding skin can be minimized.
When to use Calcium Alginate Dressing?
These Calcium alginate wound dressing is versatile in nature and has numerous applications. They work best on wet wounds, which produce a lot of exudate and sloughy wounds that have dead tissues. These dressings are effective on:
- Diabetic wounds
- Wounds with moderate-to-heavily exudates
- Shallow or cavity wounds
- Full-thickness burns
- Surgical wounds
- Split-thickness graft donor sites
- Mohs surgery defects
- Refractory decubiti
They have hemostatic properties for which they are used on bleeding wounds.
These wound dressings should not be applied on heavily necrotic and dry wounds. This wound dressing requires exudate to form a gel-like covering and initiate healing. If the wound is dry, the dressing will stick to it and can be painful while being removed.
What are the Types of Alginate Dressings?
Calcium alginate wound dressings are available in different types, such as ribbon and flat, non-woven pads. You can choose from
alginate dressings that are latex or latex-free and incorporated with silver, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), or hydrocolloid such as
Coloplast Biatain Alginates Wound Dressing. Some wound dressings also come with an antimicrobial agent to fight infection. Example -
Derma Algicell Ag Dressing
Alginate dressings with silver display effective antimicrobial action against bacteria and also release silver ions into the wound depending on the exudate amount which is present. There are many self-adhesive dressings, but some are
non-adherent types and will need a secondary dressing.
Which Alginate Wound Dressing to Buy?
Selecting a dressing will depend on the status of the wound because there are different types of alginate wound care dressings available.
Initially, the wound produces more exudate, which gradually lessens as healing progresses. The wound keeps some moisture needed for the healing process, and the dressing absorbs the excessive moisture. But if healing is delayed and the wound becomes chronic with excessive exudate, this could result in an infection. Users can use
super-absorbent dressings that are useful under such circumstances.
For sloughy wounds with soft necrotic tissues, excess dead, then high gelling
Kaltostat,
Tegaderm, and
Sorbalgon alginate wound care dressings are the key.
The gel-like consistency is formed when the dressing absorbs exudate to provide a moist wound healing environment with easy removal. Wounds with a deep cavity require alginate dressings in the form of a rope or ribbon. The dressing is packed into the wound, ensuring all areas are covered. Flat pads or sheets are used for superficial wounds with heavy exudates, such as leg ulcers.
All our alginate wound dressings are high quality from leading manufacturers like
Medline,
3M,
Hollister,
Smith & Nephew, and
ConvaTec. Top alginate dressing brands are featured here, like
Maxorb,
Tegaderm and
Biatain.
Research and Articles on Alginate Dressing
