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Case Study/Series
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Excellent healing of pediatric wounds using polymeric membrane dressings* First Author: Linda Benskin Authors: Linda Benskin, BSN, RN, Ghana SRN, CWCN PROBLEM Treating wounds in an active pediatric population presents special challenges to clinicians. Pain relief, especially during dressing changes, greatly enhances compliance. Dressings must conform well to the wound surface to prevent contamination during activity. Toxicity due to absorption of chemicals used to cleanse or treat the wound is important in pediatrics. RATIONALE Flexible non-toxic polymeric membrane dressings decrease wound pain, and their non-adherent design usually makes dressing changes painless as well. They contain a built-in cleanser, so no manual wound cleansing is usually needed, allowing for less disruption of new growth at wound bed, quick and easy dressing changes. Glycerol in the dressings soothes, hydrates dry wounds while super-absorbent starch takes up excess wound fluid, resulting in ideal moisture balance. METHODOLOGY After initial cleansing/debriding, polymeric membrane dressings applied to exposed surfaces of wound; changed when saturated. RESULTS Wounds, many of which had been chronically infected, stayed clean and healed quickly with use of polymeric membrane dressings. Dressings and changes were comfortable to children, leading to good compliance. CONCLUSION Polymeric membrane dressings met all of the challenges presented by pediatric patients at our clinic in West Africa and quickly became our dressing of choice for acute and chronic pediatric wounds. |
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