Advantages and Uses of Hydrocolloid Dressing

Hydrocolloid dressing is an opaque dressing used to prevent wounds from getting infected and for letting the wound heal in a moist area. It is also called a duoderm.

Hydrocolloids, as the name suggests, consist of a colloid system where the particles are dispersed in water. Depending on the concentration of the particles, the mixture can take the form of a gel or a liquid.

This kind of dressing has an absorbent layer of gel on a semipermeable film, which helps in maintaining adequate hydration and wound debridement. These dressings have been found to be effective in dealing with minor burns, lacerations, acne, and eczema.

Using this dressing is pretty simple. Any wound has to be immediately cleaned with an antiseptic solution. Then the dressing is to be applied.

One dressing will last for 3-5 days, so change the dressing after that time. The dressing will start to peel off from the sides, and an edge of dirt will start to form around the bandage. If you see this, it is time to wash the wound again, and apply another bandage.

There are a number of advantages of a duoderm dressing. The first and the foremost is that it is non-permeable for bacteria and other contaminants. The process of healing wounds is faster, facilitated by the dressing's ability to clean up the wound.

Another useful feature of such a dressing is that it is waterproof. Thus, even if the dressing is exposed to water on account of, say, a person taking a shower, it still functions normally. Also, this dressing is transparent, which enables a person to monitor the wound without taking off the bandage.

Before using the dressing, it is important to make that part of the body sterile. If you think you might have an allergic reaction to the dressing, apply it to a small test area first, and abstain from using it if a reaction does occur. Take Care!