Bandages

Question 1

Wet to dry

Answer 1

• Early wound management
• Place layers of bandage over a contaminated or dirty wound in order to facilitate debridement
• Placed aseptically over a prepared wound in several layers
• First layer: sterile gauze, wet with normal saline, layered over wound covering all margins, followed by dry swap on top
• dilute exudate and promote absorption of exudates away from wound and into second layer of bandage
• Next layer: conforming roll gauze placed in several thicknesses determined by the wound or presence of orthopedic injury beneath
• Rest of the bandage: for protection as appropriate

Question 2

Honey and sugar

Answer 2

• Sugar = Hyperosmolar
• draws lymph fluid into the wound
• lymph bathes the wound (keeps it moist)
• provides nutrition to the healing cells
• inhibits bacterial growth
• encourages macrophage infiltration
• reduces edema
• promotes natural debridement
• develops healthy granulation tissue
• Honey
• same qualities of sugar
• stronger bacteriocidal agent
• benefits are stronger in raw (unpasteurized) manuka honey
• can be painful
• Choice depends on wound
• sugar can be poured
• honey has to be held in place with a bandage
• honey on flat wounds e.g. burns, devolving injuries
• sugar on large defects such as broken down surgical incisions