The Effect of Medifoam (Hydrophilic Polyurethane Foam) Dressing In Split Thickness Skin Graft Donor Site.

Park, Young Oh; Minn, Kyung Won; Hur, Joon Pyung

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons 2002;29(4):297-301.
Published online July 1, 2002.

The Effect of Medifoam (Hydrophilic Polyurethane Foam) Dressing In Split Thickness Skin Graft Donor Site.

Young Oh Park, Kyung Won Minn, Joon Pyung Hur

¹Department of Plastic and Reconstruction Surgery, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Korea. minnkw@snu.ac.kr
²Armed force Medical Commend, Korea.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of occlusive wet dressing by using hydrophilic polyurethane foam (Medifoam ) in the management of donor sites of split thickness skin graft. The outer layer of Medifoam is made of a polyurethane film, which is impermeable to water and microorganisms. It provides moist wound environment and effective bacterial barrier. The middle layer is polyurethane foam, the absorption layer. Its swelling ratio is 1020% and the layer contains wound promoters (Glycosamnioglycan, etc.). The inner layer is polyurethane film, which has micro pores whose size is below 20mum. It prevents epithelial ingrowth into the pore. We performed half side test to compare Medifoam to AHD (the hydrocellular dressing materials). We divided STSG donor site into AHD dressing site and Medifoam dressing site in random fashion. This study was performed in Seoul National University Hospital from April 2001 till August 2001 with 32 patients, who needed to skin graft. We investigated about pain, comfort, easiness of handling, and time for complete healing. The Medifoam dressed site had less pain, more comfortable, easier handling and more rapid wound healing. The average healing time of Medifoam is 9.4 +/- 1.9 days and AHD is 12.6 +/- 1.9 days(p< 0.001). So we concluded that the occlusive dressing with Medifoam is an effective dressing method in split thickness skin graft donor site. And we expect that it is also effective dressing material in many other wounds.

Keywords: Wound dressing; Hydrocelluar Dressing; Split thickness skin graft