Written by Janis Harrison, RN, BSN, CWOCN, CFCN
My husband had to "lay down" his motorcycle, and I don't mean he went out and shot it to put it out of its misery. That would have been too easy. Instead, he and the bike slide along the highway with his leg pinned between the bike and the road. Of course the road won and between you and I... this experience turned him into a 200lb whiner.
The result of his accident was a major "road rash" on his proximal left calf, compounded by something, possibly a 1/2 in rock that carved a 3mm deep path through the middle of it from top to bottom.
Hydrogel products have the ability to cool and conform to the topography of the wound. They are meant to be used on dry wounds or wounds with very little exudate and are available in a range of viscosities that promote complete contract of the dressing to the wound. Hydrogels are available in sheets or amorphous gel. Currently on the market you will find them in a tube, spray, impregnated gauze, ribbon strips, and foil packaging.
Hydrogel dressings are a primary dressing used to create a cooling effects to the skin and wound areas. The sheets can even be refrigerated when cooling is the primary goal, such as the case of a radiant burn.
In my husband's case, I used a tube of hydrogel to fill the voice probably made by the rock and then covered the entire "rash" using impregnated gauze sheets.
First, I cleansed the wound using saline and patted it dray. The dressing formed itself to the leg and sealed the wound from infection.
Always remember to use a secondary dressing to keep the perimeter in place. His wound was dry enough that hydrogel was just the ticket!
Voila!
Not only was the wound taken care of but the cooling effect (from placing the hydrogel in the fridge while cleansing the wound) had an immediate positive effect on Mr. Whiner. He was happy right up until I told him this was all his fault for not wearing a pair of calf-high boots. He will be using "his money" for a pair before his next ride.
What is a hydrogel dressing?
A glycerin or water based polymer that is made to hydrate or add moisture to the wound. Adding moist is necessary for moist wound healing and autolysis.
Hydrogel dressings are indicated for use on dry to minimally exudating wounds. Hydrogels can be used in wounds with and without depth and are a good choice for painful wounds to keep the dressing from sticking to the wound bed. Skin barriers or sealants should be used on the periwound skin to decrease probable masceration around the wound margins.
Examples of Hydrogels in the Market
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Meet the Author
Janis Harrison, RN, BSN, C.W.O.C.N & C.F.C.N. is the owner of Harrison WOC Services, L.L.C. in Thurston, Nebraska. A graduate of Morningside College, Janis works as an independent contractor of Wound, Ostomy, Continence, and Foot and Nail Care services for medical entities throughout Northeast Nebraska. With over 30 years of experience as a nurse and 12 years as a CWOCN and CFCN, she found her passion for wound care when her spouse was afflicted with many complications from four consecutively failed surgeries that involved his ostomy. Through this experience, it became obvious that rural Northeast Nebraska was in need of wound and ostomy nursing care. After her husband survived an nine additional surgeries, Janis enrolled and graduated from the WOC Nursing program. Along with writing case studies, poster abstracts, newsletters, consulting with KCI and in-services, Janis has also helped to write and is the Chief Clinical Consultant of WoundRight, which is a documentation app available for tablets.
Janis Harrison, RN, BSN, C.W.O.C.N & C.F.C.N. is the owner of Harrison WOC Services, L.L.C. in Thurston, Nebraska. A graduate of Morningside College, Janis works as an independent contractor of Wound, Ostomy, Continence, and Foot and Nail Care services for medical entities throughout Northeast Nebraska. With over 30 years of experience as a nurse and 12 years as a CWOCN and CFCN, she found her passion for wound care when her spouse was afflicted with many complications from four consecutively failed surgeries that involved his ostomy. Through this experience, it became obvious that rural Northeast Nebraska was in need of wound and ostomy nursing care. After her husband survived nine additional surgeries, Janis enrolled and graduated from the WOC Nursing program. Along with writing case studies, poster abstracts, newsletters, consulting with KCI and in-services, Janis has also helped to write and is the Chief Clinical Consultant of WoundRight, which is a documentation app available for tablets.