Mepilex Foam Wound Dressings Guide
What is a Foam Dressing?
A foam dressing is "non-adherent" which means it doesn't stick to the wound bed, they are also non-linting so lint and debris aren't left in the wound when the dressing is removed. Foam dressings are generally semi-permeable to allow water vapor to reach the wound while keeping out bacteria, dirt, and contaminates. Foam dressings help maintain a moist environment which helps wounds heal and they also absorb excess wound exudate.The absorbent material found in foam dressings can be used with mild to high exudant wounds.
What is a Border or Island Dressing?
Bordered foam dressings are designed with an absorbent pad in the center of the bandage backed with a soft, flexible gauze layer and then surrounded on all sides with a skin friendly adhesive strip that holds the bandage to the skin. Generally, bordered foam dressings are a lower cost alternative when you need an absorbent dressing. The "island" is referring to the absorbent pad in the middle of the bandage, it would be the island surrounded on all sides by the adhesive border.
What are the Styles Mepilex Dressings?
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Bordered Foam Dressing - Adheres securely with skin friendly adhesive, maintains a moist environment for wound, helps keep out bacteria, able to be worn without a bandage retainer, available in waterproof and border lite, sizes vary but can not be cut to fit.
Silicone Foam Dressing - Absorbs exudate, worn underneath compression bandages and can be lifted to check wound site, easy to apply and can be cut to fit, able to be worn for 7 days.
Antimicrobial Soft Silicone Foam - Releases silver for up to 7 days and starts to work within 30 minutes of application. Needs to be worn under compression bandages, can be lifted and adjusted as needed, effective against bacteria commonly found in wounds, minimizes risk of maceration. Cut to fit.
Foam Heel Dressing - Designed with soft, flexible foam that can be shaped to fit any heel. Includes Molnlycke Safetac technology, absorbs exudate, prevents maceration, and promotes healing. Comprised of three layers: silicone wound Safetac layer, absorbent pad of foam, and outer vapor permeable water resistant layer.
Sacrum Foam Dressing - The sacrum forms the base of the spine at the center of the pelvis, your tailbone attaches to the bottom of the sacrum. This bandage is designed to fit the sacrum area of the body because the sacrum is often where pressure sores and ulcers form. Mepilex Sacrum foam dressing is a self adherent foam dressing that can be worn for several days depending on the wound exudate. Can not be cut to fit, available in different sizes.
What is Safetac Technology?
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Safetac is an adhesive that is designed to cause less pain when it is removed. Wounds are uneven and the Safetac technology helps mold the dressing to uneven skin. Other adhesive dressings just stick to the top of the skin surface which means they leave air between the wound and the dressing. Safetac's molding action is why it minimizes pain while also helping cut down on damage to the wound or surrounding skin. Safetac gently adheres to dry skin but does not stick to a moist wound. Safetac forms itself to your skin's pores so it forms a complete seal keeping the wound moist and protected. Traditional adhesives are not able to form a complete seal around the wound. Without a seal, fluid from the wound spreads to the skin surrounding the wound. This exposes healthy skin to bacteria and unwanted moisture. Safetac technology adhesive seals the area around the wound keeping the wound clean and dry.
Safetac Technology:
- Adheres to dry skin not moist wounds
- Molds to the wound and surrounding skin creating a moist wound environment for faster healing
- Seals the edge of the wound to protect the healthy skin surrounding the wound
- Easy to remove, won't strip healing wound or healthy skin
