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What Is a Telfa Pad?

If you get cut or wounded, one of the first things you want to do is stop the bleeding. The next thing you want to do is protect the wound. That's one of the things you can use Telfa sterile pads for. Telfa pads are usually in first-aid kits for on-site, immediate wound treatment.

  1. Identification

    • Telfa consists of an absorbent thin layer of cotton fibers, enclosed in a polyethylene terephthalate film, which is a commonly used thermoplastic polymer. It's perforated and sealed along two edges. The film exists to prevent the Telfa dressing from sticking to the wound. However, at the same time, the padding allows the wound to seep into it, thereby slowing the bleeding.

    Uses

    • Telfa paddings and dressings are best used on light wounds or to protect dried wounds. These include sutured wounds, superficial cuts and abrasions. According to Dressings.org, Telfa padding can also be used to treat more severe wounds, but only if backed up by another layer of medical wrapping. The reason is the plastic film. While it allows some of the wound excrement to seep into the bandage, it has a low-absorbency capacity and is not intended for deep, heavy-bleeding wounds.

    Types

    • Telfa comes in two forms: Telfa bandages, which are typically individually wrapped in paper peel pouches, and Telfa dressings. Telfa dressings can be wrapped around a wound. While both varieties are effective for treating light wounds, Telfa dressing, which is intended for larger wounds, can be more tightly and securely wrapped. Telfa must be changed according to the severity of the wound. For example, for light wounds, it may need to be changed after several days. But for large wounds, padding may need to be changed once a day or more.

    Limitations

    • While you can use Telfa to treat some deeper wounds, it's specifically not intended for treating other types of wounds. These types of wounds, according to Dressings.org, include leg ulcers. Leg ulcers emit high volumes of exudate, which could cause the Telfa padding to become dislodged in such liquids. This can create even greater problems for the injury, such as maceration and inflammation to the area.

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