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wound care

Wound Care Instructions

Infection Control
If a tub or shower taken, clean shower or stall before and after with bathroom cleanser or disinfectant. Dispose of soiled dressings into plastic bags and take outside to garbage.

Washing Burns, Grafts and Donors
Wash wounds every 12 hours until they are healed, using a non-perfumed, mild, antibacterial soap. Ivory, Dial or Lever 2000 are good soaps to use or soaps containing chlorhexidine (Hibiclenz). May take a warm bath in a clean tub or shower using a soft spray. Use a clean washcloth for EACH wound site to prevent the possible spread of infection. Use another washcloth for the rest of your body. Do not scrub. Pat dry.

Burned Areas
After washing remove peeling, loose skin. May trim with scissors. Apply a thin layer of SSD (Silver Sulfadiazine 1% Cream) to burn on body. Apply a thin layer of Bacitracin to burns on face. Wrap burns with kerlix. Wrap hand burns with kling using the "boxer" wrap" technique.

Grafted Areas*
After washing apply a thin layer of Bacitracin ointment to the grafts. Cover with Adaptic and wrap with kerlix. Cover hand grafts with Adaptic and wrap with kerlix using the "boxer wrap" technique.

Donor Sites*
After bathing pat Xeroform (yellow vaseline gauze) dray and leave open to air. May dry with a hair dryer on cool setting May trim xeroform at edges until all of it comes off. Do not force. Once xeroform is off, apply Eltra (Eutra) twice a day or as needed to keep skin soft and prevent drying and cracking. May also use lotions that do not contain perfumes or alcohol (perfumes and alcohol can dry and irritate skin). Lotions to use: Vaselines Intensive Care, Cocoa Butter, Aloe, Suave,...

*NOTE: Small blisters may or may not be seen from time to time on new grafts or donor sites. Blisters occur due to rubbing from clothing and bed linens. Apply a small amount of Bacitracin on open blisters.

 



     
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