HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital issued the following announcement on July 18.
In the business world, to do something quickly is to put a Band-Aid on the problem. However, anyone who has walked down a drugstore aisle recently knows that choosing among the dozens of bandages available can take time.
"Wound healing advances have made their way from laboratories, hospitals and doctors’ offices to store shelves offering consumers a greater variety of products which, unfortunately, they must choose among with little guidance,” says Scott Covington, MD, FACS, CHWS, Executive Vice President, Medical Affairs for Healogics, Inc.
Covington consults with HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Wound Healing Center, a member of the Healogics™ network which is comprised of academic medical centers, hospitals and professionals committed to advancing wound healing by creating, sharing, and activating wound prevention and care expertise.
Jeff Brummer, DO, medical director of St. Anthony’s Wound Healing Center, shared, “Having the right products is crucial to ensuing that a small injury does not get out of hand. It is also important to know when an injury requires further medical intervention.”
The experts at HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Wound Healing Center offer these shopping tips to create a first aid kit that will be ready when an injury occurs:
- One medical breakthrough available over-the-counter are bandages containing silver, a natural antibacterial. These new bandages and pre-applied antibiotic bandages can be used for infected wounds where previously antibiotic ointment was applied.
- New liquid bandages join familiar adhesive bandages as perfect choices to cover friction blisters caused by new shoes.
- Spray bandages form a clear film over the cut and are good for hard-to-cover body parts such as knees and elbows. They are not waterproof and shouldn't be used with an antibiotic that could loosen the adhesive.
- Keeping non-infected wounds covered, or occluded, speeds healing and dressings should have the ability to remain on a wound for several days. For example, hydrocolloid bandages contain particles that absorb the liquid in a wound and create a gel-like covering that keeps the wound moist and protected.
- Butterfly tape or steri-strips can be used for very small cuts in which the edges stay together.
- Scar-therapy bandages are meant to be used only after the wound has completely healed.
- When bandaging children, remain calm and explain what you are doing.
- See a doctor if bleeding doesn’t stop after 10 minutes of direct pressure or if the edges of the wound gape open. Also see a doctor if a wound hasn't healed in more than 30 days or if it shows signs of infection.
Original source can be found here.
Source: HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital
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