How to Use Aquacel Ag Dressings
- Excessive drainage that has changed in color or consistency.
- Redness surrounding the wound, especially if the area of redness grows.
- Warmth around the wound.
- Increased pain or tenderness.
- Unusual odor.
- Sudden spike in glucose levels in a person with diabetes.
What is Aquacel AG?
Aquacel is a line of antimicrobial dressings designed to block bacteria from entering a wound. These primary dressings are made with hydrofiber, which is a special material that forms a gel when it comes into contact with wound exudate. Hydrofiber retains moisture better than gauze. This keeps the wound moist, creating the ideal environment for healing.
What is Aquacel Ag used for?
Aquacel Ag is a line of dressings that have ionic silver infused into the bandage. Silver wound dressings area meant to be used on infected wounds. Aquacel Ag bandages kill bacteria within 30 minutes of application and create a barrier to keep microorganisms out of the wound. They also bring down inflammation and reduce pain. Aquacel Ag slowly releases silver into the wound as it comes into contact with exudate. This means that the wound will not be flooded with too much silver at one time, which could damage the wound.
How to apply an Aquacel AG Dressing
To start, you will need to wash your hands with soap and water. This is to make sure your hands are clean and free of dirt and contaminants. The next step is to clean the wound with a wound cleanser. This is not the same as cleaning the wound with regular soap and water. A wound cleanser like CarraKlenz is specially designed to clean debris from the wound bed. CarraKlenz is a dermal wound cleanser and it promotes a moist wound environment which helps the healing process.
Note: All wound care should be overseen by a healthcare professional. If you have any questions about your wound, you should seek proper medical care. This information is meant for educational purposes and to help you ask your doctor better questions to help you get the best care.
Shallow wounds
The dressing should overlap the complete wound area by ½ inch because Aquacel will shrink as it absorbs the wound fluid and begins to gel.
Deep wounds
Deep wounds may require the use of a wound packing gauze.
If that is the case, then make sure you leave at least 1 inch of the gauze strip outside of the wound for easy removal. If you are using the AQUACEL Ag Ribbon Dressing with Strengthening Fiber , then you should only fill the dressing into deep wounds up to 80% because the wound packing gauze will swell as it absorbs the wound fluid.
Always check with your doctor to make sure you are using your medical supplies as directed and as needed.
For Foot and Leg Ulcers
Ensure the skin surrounding the ulcer is dry. Moisture can affect the adherence to the dressing.
Select an Aquacel Ag dressing size that is appropriate for the size of the foot or leg ulcer. It should cover the wound entirely with a slight overlap onto the surrounding healthy skin. Place the Aquacel Ag dressing directly onto the foot or leg ulcer. Ensure it adheres securely to the wound bed.
Keep a close eye on the foot or leg ulcer for signs of infection, and always follow the specific instructions provided by your healthcare provider. If you are uncertain about any aspect of the dressing application or if you notice any signs of complications, consult with a healthcare professional for guidance.
For Partial Thickness Burns
Ensure the Aquacel Ag dressing overlaps 5 cm (2 inches) onto the skin surrounding the burn or adjacent Aquacel Ag.
Cover the Aquacel Ag with sterile gauze and secure it with medical tape or a retention bandage.
Periodically remove the gauze cover dressing to inspect the Aquacel Ag while it remains in place on the burn. Adherence to the wound bed of the Aquacel Ag is a desired characteristic. Be cautious about the adherence of the dressing over joints as it could interfere with movement, although Aquacel clinical trials in second-degree burns showed no effect on range of motion after complete healing.
For partial thickness burns (second-degree burns), Aquacel Ag dressings may be left in place for up to 14 days or until clinically indicated. Frequent inspection is necessary if the burn is infected.
As the burn wound re epithelialized, the Aquacel Ag will detach or be easily removed.
Apply a secondary dressing to hold the Aquacel in place
Aquacel Extra and Aquacel AG do not have an adhesive border surrounding the wound dressing so you will need another dressing to cover them and hold them in place.
It is important that you use an adhesive dressing that keeps the wound moist such as ConvaTec DuoDERM Signal which is specifically designed to hold Aquacel dressings in place. DuoDerm Signal is an adhesive, tapered edge, hydrocolloid wound dressing that signals you when the bandage has absorbed an excess of fluid. The indicator line will alert you when a dressing change is necessary. The adhesive and the outer film are permeable by moisture vapor and provide an occlusive barrier against bacteria, viruses, dirt, and water.
If you are covering the Aquacel with medical gauze, change the gauze when you see wound fluid through the outer layer.
When to Change Wound Dressings
The dressing may need to be changed every 2 to 3 days to start, Aquacel can be left in place for up to 7 days, however, it will need to be changed when medically needed.
As the wound closes and the exudate/fluid becomes less the dressing will be able to stay in place longer. The dressing should be changed when it is saturated with wound fluid or when the edges of the dressing start to curl up or bunch up into itself.
If the wound dressing is leaking, if you are seeing more blood, if there is increased pain then you should change the dressing and inspect the wound. Wounds need to be inspected frequently. If there are any residual bits of dressing, then you will need to irrigate the wound with a wound cleanser.
If the dressing becomes hard and dry making it hard to remove, then you can moisten the dressing with sterile saline or sterile water until the dressing lifts from the wound easily. This may take several minutes however it is a needed step. You should not use tap water or bottled water on a wound.
Dressing Removal
Ensure you have the necessary supplies, including clean gloves and wound care materials, and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before removing the dressing.
Gently lift the edges of the Aquacel Ag dressing. Avoid sudden or forceful removal to prevent unnecessary trauma to the wound. Observe how well the dressing adheres to the wound. If it's sticking, moisten it with saline solution to ease removal.
Slowly peel the dressing from the wound, pulling it parallel to the skin to minimize discomfort. Inspect the wound for any signs of infection, excessive bleeding, or changes in healing status.
Dispose of the used Aquacel Ag dressing according to healthcare waste disposal guidelines, and wash your hands again.
Adhere to any specific instructions or guidance provided by your healthcare provider for post-removal care.
When to Contact a Doctor or Medical Provider?
When there are signs of chronic wound infection such as:
It is important to remember that you can always call your doctor with questions about your personal healthcare. Your medical team is invested in your care and they want your wound to heal well. Signs of infection should never be ignored.
If you have any doubt about your wound discharge or if what you are seeing, or smelling is normal, you should call them and ask. Wounds can become infected but with the proper wound dressings and care they can heal cleanly.
What is the Difference Between Aquacel Extra and Aquacel Ag Extra?
There are some differences between these two wound dressings by Convatec.
The first and most obvious is that the Aquacel AG Extra is impregnated with 1.2% ionic silver and the Aquacel Extra is not. What is the silver for? The ionic silver supports wound healing by fighting infection, decreasing pain, and keeping exudate in check. Aquacel AG Extra with ionic silver kills a broad spectrum of wound-related bacteria and yeasts. AG Extra is 9 times stronger and has 50% greater absorbency.
But, both dressings are powered by hydrofiber technology so they both are designed to support wound healing. Aquacel has strengthening fibers that lock in wound fluid and exudate inside the fiber itself. The fibers of the dressing swell and form microcontours, so each part of the wound bed is covered by the bandage.
To make Aquacel into a stronger bandage, Convatec has placed horizontal strengthening fibers across the wound dressing and then placed a second hydrofiber sheet over the top for even greater absorption. The two sheets are stitch-bonded for extra durability.
Aquacel AG can be cut in any direction which means it can fit even odd-shaped wounds without waste. Make sure you are using sterilized scissors to cut the dressing. You don't want to contaminate the dressing by using craft scissors.
