Having a wound can be a very messy and painful business and it is best to try and get it healed as soon as possible. One of ways do this is to use the correct dressings for the wound to change them according to the instructions. You will find that Aquacel dressings are among the finest ones you can use. There are different types of Aquacel Hydrofiber dressing and your doctor will know the best one for your needs.

In the past many different materials have been used in the treatment of wounds, ranging from grease-soaked bandages to what can best be described as 'sophisticated' cloths or gauzes. Traditionally wound care was the remit of surgeons or doctors but the specialty has now expanded to include nurses and other healthcare professionals. This increasingly multidisciplinary approach has been aided by the evolution of other clinical areas such as endocrinology and diabetes and treatment options have become increasingly sophisticated.

Hydrofiber

A Hydrofiber is defined as a soft, sterile, non-woven pad or ribbon dressing composed of sodium carboxymethylcellulose, which is incorporated in the form of a fleece held together by a needle-bonding process. This conformable material can absorb a large amount of wound fluid, such as exudate with bacteria. This is then transformed into a soft gel, which creates a moist environment to support the body's healing process. The gel also aids the removal of non-viable tissue from the wound, without damaging newly formed tissue. Hydrofibers are versatile and can be incorporated into a variety of dressing formats. Silver is well established as an agent capable of killing bacteria and has been applied to wounds to manage infection in burns and chronic wounds for many years.

The first Hydrofiber dressing to be launched was Aquacel in 1997. By the mid-2000s new formulations were introduced for different clinical situations and these now include the addition of antimicrobial ionic silver, or the use of Hydrofiber as a specific layer in composite dressings. Aquacel Hydrofiber dressing also comes in a variety of formats for different wound types and situations, for example Aquacel Silver Hydrofiber ribbon dressing can be used in deep cavity wounds. Different shapes and sizes of dressings are also produced for specific anatomical areas.

Aquacel AG Silver Hydrofiber dressing is a silver-impregnated antimicrobial dressing that contains 12mg of silver per 10 x 10cm² of dressing. Like any Hydrofiber it absorbs exudate to form a soft, hydrophilic, gas permeable gel but also provides a barrier to bacterial penetration and helps to reduce infection through a sustained release of silver ions, which can last for up to 14 days.

Not all silver products are the same, thus, having a clear understanding of the properties of the dressing and matching them to the needs of the wound and the patient is central to achieving success. This is why it is important to use the Aquacel Silver Hydrofiber dressing when treating a serious wound. In this way you will have a better chance of the wound healing better and faster than otherwise.