Acticoat Dressing Instructions

Patients who suffer from a severe wound or a burn may benefit from an Acticoat dressing. This product can destroy bacteria within 30 minutes with its nanocrystalline silver layer. Keeping the dressing moist activates the silver and helps ward off pathogens. A nurse or doctor should apply the Acticoat dressing; however, patients who are not hospitalized must maintain the dressing at home.

Things You'll Need

• Scissors
• Sterile water
• Gauze dressing
• Plastic wrap

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Instructions

Application

• 1

  Apply Acticoat dressings to clean, dry wounds. Cut the dressing down to fit the wound, if necessary, with sterile scissors.

• 2

  Moisten the dressing pad until it is just damp. Never use saline; only use sterile water.

• 3

  Place the Acticoat dressing on the wound with the blue side facing down. Ensure that the dressing covers the entire wound.

• 4

  Wrap the wound site with a gauze dressing, covering the Acticoat dressing.

• 5

  Remove the gauze dressing 24 hours later. Examine the Acticoat dressing. If it has adhered to the skin, you do not need to re-wrap it with a new gauze dressing. Re-moisten the Acticoat dressing with sterile water.

Maintenance

• 6

  Keep the Acticoat dressing damp while the wound is healing. Re-moisten it with sterile water about every six to 12 hours. Do not saturate it with water, because this can damage the healthy skin.

• 7

  Check the skin around the injury at least once daily for signs of a possible infection. If the area is swollen, red, smells foul or has pus draining from it, see your doctor.

• 8

  Wrap the Acticoat dressing securely with plastic wrap before taking a shower. Do not allow the dressing to become waterlogged.

• 9

  Apply a gauze dressing over the Acticoat pad in accordance with your doctor's directions. He may instruct you to wrap it if there is a risk that it will become dirty. Remove the gauze dressing when it is time to moisten the pad and use fresh gauze to re-wrap it.