What are the main indications for alginate dressings?
Alginates have been shown to be useful in a variety of situation; sloughy wounds which also produce a degree of exudate may be dressed with alginate dressings such as Sorbsan, Tegagen, Kaltostat (or other gel forming polysaccharide dressings). The gel which is formed as these products absorb exudate forms a moist covering over the slough preventing it from drying out. These dressings require moisture to function correctly, so alginates are not indicated for dry sloughy wounds or those covered with hard necrotic tissue. For shallow, heavily exuding wounds such as leg ulcers, fibrous sheet dressings made from alginate fibre may be used, while cavity wounds, traditionally packed with gauze soaked in saline, hypochlorite, or proflavine, are now more commonly dressed with alginate fibre in the form of ribbon or rope. For epithelizing wounds, alginates have an advantage over cellulose dressings in that they can be removed without causing pain or trauma if they are first well soaked with sodi
