What can be used as an occlusive dressing?

Occlusive dressings come in various forms, including petrolatum gauze, which sticks to the skin surrounding the wound using petrolatum. They can also be used to enhance the penetration and absorption of topically-applied medications, such as ointments and creams.

How do you cover a sucking chest wound?

Place tape, plastic, or a chest seal over any hole that’s sucking in air, including entry and exit wounds. Make sure no air enters any wound. Secure the tape or seal with occlusive dressingor similar wrapping material that can create a water and airtight seal.

Is plastic wrap an occlusive dressing?

The plastic wrap dressing does not occlude the wound completely because of the weak adhesive power of non-woven adhesive tape used in this treatment, and the exudate is drained outside of the wound.

Can you use duct tape as a chest seal?

The plastic wrapper of a battle dressing works very well, although any air-tight material can be substituted, such as: Cellophane. Aluminum foil. Duct Tape.

Is Xeroform an occlusive dressing?

Xeroform® Occlusive Dressing is a sterile, non-adhering protective dressing consisting of absorbent, fine-mesh gauze impregnated with a petrolatum blend. 3\% bismuth tribromophenate blend formula provides bacteriostatic protection.

What is a sterile occlusive dressing?

Occlusive dressings are used for sealing particular types of wounds and their surrounding tissue off from air, fluids and harmful contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, in a trauma or first aid situation.

What does a chest seal do?

Chest seals work by closing the chest wall opening, allowing air to enter the chest through its normal pulmonary route. Traditional three-sided dressings have shown to be ineffective in preventing conversion of an open pneumothorax to a tension pneumothorax.

What is the purpose of a three sided occlusive dressing?

Classically, an occlusive dressing is applied and adhered to the chest on three sides with the dependent portion open to allow for blood and air to escape the wound.

What is considered an occlusive dressing?

An occlusive dressing is a non-permeable dressing, which means that no air or moisture can penetrate in or out. A semi-occlusive (semi-permeable, transparent) dressing allows the wound to “breathe” (air can penetrate in and out) but at the same time, protects the wound from outside liquids.

What is medihoney?

MEDIHONEY® contains active Leptospermum honey and works through 2 key mechanisms of action: 1) it acts as an osmotic engine to draw fluid from deeper tissues to the wound surface to promote removal of devitalized tissue,3,4 and 2) it features a low pH of 3.5–4.5 that helps reduce the pH of the wound and contributes to …

How do you seal a sucking chest wound?

You can use a first aid device called a chest seal for this. Or, another trick is to use the packaging that sterile dressings come in. Peel open the packaging and tape the entire plastic portion over the sucking chest wound.

What is an occlusive dressing and how does it work?

The dressing allows for ointments to thoroughly penetrate wounds by preventing evaporation. Occlusive dressings also press the ointment into the wound, rather than absorbing it like other dressings.

What is the application of a bandage?

Application of Bandages. In applying a bandage: (1) If the skin is broken a sterile pad or several thicknesses of sterile gauze should be placed over the wound before tape or bandaging material is applied over the pad to hold it in place. Adhesive tape is never applied directly on a wound.

How do you keep air from coming out of a wound?

Taping the seal on three sides is supposed to allow air to escape while blocking air from sucking in. In my experience, that doesn’t really work so well. Blood tends to glue the plastic to the wound. Careful observation works much better than improvised chest seals.