How Often Should I Change My Bandage

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A wound dressing helps to protect an injury from infection. However, wound dressings need to exist changed every so often to make sure that the dressing is doing its job correctly. To change a wound dressing, y'all will need to take some fourth dimension beforehand to gear up. You will also need to know how to monitor the wound after you have changed the dressing.

1
Gather all of the necessary materials. Changing the wound dressing will be much more efficient if you practise non have to go looking for materials in the middle of changing your dressing. Things to get together before you brainstorm include:
- A cleanser to clean the wound, such equally a saline solution.
- Sterile dressing, like sterile gauze or a pre-packaged dressing.
- Tape that can fasten and stabilize the wound dressing.
- Disposable gloves to protect your hand from any debris found in the wound and to protect your wound from harmful microbes on your paw.
two
Wash your hands. This volition help to remove bacteria from your hands that could transfer to the wound when you alter the dressing. Hands harbor a lot of harmful microbes, thus it becomes imperative to limit the number of microbes you lot expose the wound to.^[1]
- Wash your hands with warm water and lather for forty seconds to a infinitesimal. The Earth Health Organisation suggests that you lot wet your easily. Work upwards soap into a lather in your hands and then scrub your palms, the backs of your hands, each finger, and all the space in between your fingers—in that order. Rinse your hands with clean water. Dry your hands on a make clean towel.^[2]
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3
Put on a pair of clean gloves. After performing the proper mitt washing technique described above, you tin perform wound dressing with your bare hands. However, as an added precaution, you should wear disposable gloves.^[3]
- Handwashing eliminates well-nigh microbes only can exit a few bacteria behind.
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1
Remove the quondam dressing. To make this process easier, pour liberal amounts of water on the dressing so that the edges of the tape loosen upwards. You lot could as well try wetting the cast with a cotton wool ball that has been dipped in a saline solution.^[4]
- Y'all could also use an unopened, sterile bottle of h2o to make clean the wound.
ii
Assess your wound. When you have uncovered your wound, take a look at it to meet if there are any signs of infection. Note whatever foul smelling odor, drainage (and what color the drainage is) and the physical appearance of the wound.^[5]
- It is normal to see redness and swelling during the first few days after you lot receive the wound, but any foul scent or draining pus, or exudate, means that your wound is infected. Study these signs to your medico immediately.
3
Apply the new dressing. ^[6] Employ an antibiotic cream to brand sure the wound is protected. Comprehend the wound with sterilized gauze and tape the gauze downwards around the edges.^[7]
- Practise not use an antibacterial foam for an extended period of time.
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1
Keep the dressing make clean and dry. wet that stays on the wound can stimulate the growth of bacteria and fungus, causing the wound to become infected. If the dressing gets moisture, change it.^[eight]
- If the dressing is soiled with blood or drainage, or becomes soiled with mud or dirt, you should change the dressing.
2
Keep your body clean. By keeping your body clean, you tin limit the number of bacteria that your wound is exposed to. However, yous should consider taking a sponge bath, equally soaking a wound in a bathtub is likely to expose it many microorganisms.
- You can take a shower to clean yourself, but try to limit the amount of h2o that gets on the wound.^[ix]
3
Study any unusual changes in your wound. Phone call your doctor if you see signs of infection, or if any foreign things occur around the wound.^[ten]
- Once more, if you accept a bad smelling odor coming from your wound, pus coming out of the wound, or excessive amounts of pain, call your doctor.
iv

Meet your medico if the wound is non healing. If your wound has non begun to heal afterwards a few days, there is most likely something wrong. Gear up an appointment and run into with your md so that the dr. tin take a look at your wound.

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Question

Should I change the dressing daily for a wound on a diabetic pes?

Dr. DeMuro is a lath certified Pediatric Disquisitional Care Surgeon in New York. He received his Dr. from Stony Beck Academy School of Medicine in 1996. He completed his fellowship in Surgical Critical Care at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Wellness Organisation and was a previous American Higher of Surgeons (ACS) Beau.

Lath Certified Critical Care Surgeon

Expert Reply

Well-nigh dressings are inverse daily, although some are designed to stay in longer, such as an alginate, and some dressings demand more frequent changes if the wound is highly infected. Follow your md's instructions on the proper frequency for the optimal outcome.
Question

Can I wrap my wound in plastic while I am taking a shower?

Jurdy Dugdale is a Registered Nurse in Florida. She received her Nursing License from the Florida Lath of Nursing in 1989.

Medical Review Board

Expert Respond

Yes, yous tin, and there are special plastic covers made for this that yous can buy from your local drug store.
Question

Should we put anything inside the wound?

Jurdy Dugdale is a Registered Nurse in Florida. She received her Nursing License from the Florida Board of Nursing in 1989.

Medical Review Board

Adept Respond

Never put anything directly into a wound or else you could cause further damage.

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Commodity Summary X

To safely alter a wound dressing, be sure to first douse your original bandage with water to make removing it a scrap easier. When the bandage is off, take a moment to assess your wound - is at that place whatever sign of infection? Foul smell? Draining pus? If so, run into a doctor immediately. If not, employ povidone iodine to the wound with a cotton ball, followed by antibacterial cream. When you're finished, encompass the wound with sterile gauze and tape the gauze downwardly. For more wellness communication, like how to monitor whatsoever changes to your wound, keep reading.

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