An occlusive dressing is an air- and water-tight trauma

medical dressing Medicine is the science and practice of caring for patients, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practic ...

used in

first aid First aid is the first and immediate assistance given to any person with a medical emergency, with care provided to preserve life, prevent the condition from worsening, or to promote recovery until medical services arrive. First aid is gener ...

. These dressings are generally made with a waxy coating so as to provide a total seal, and as a result do not have the absorbent properties of

gauze Gauze is a thin, translucent Textile, fabric with a wikt:loose, loose open Weaving, weave. In technical terms, "gauze" is a weave structure in which the weft yarns are arranged in pairs and are crossed before and after each Warp (weaving), w ...

pads. They are typically used to treat open, or "sucking," chest wounds (

open pneumothorax A pneumothorax is collection of air in the pleural space between the lung and the chest wall. Symptoms typically include sudden onset of sharp, one-sided chest pain and shortness of breath. In a minority of cases, a one-way valve is formed by ...

) to prevent a

tension pneumothorax A pneumothorax is collection of air in the pleural space between the lung and the chest wall. Symptoms typically include sudden onset of sharp, one-sided chest pain and shortness of breath. In a minority of cases, a one-way valve is formed b ...

(a serious complication of a simple pneumothorax). In that case, they are commonly made with an opened side that lets air go out but not in. They are also used in conjunction with a moist sterile dressing for intestinal

evisceration Evisceration (pronunciation: /ɪvɪsəˈreɪʃən/) is disembowelment, i.e., the removal of viscera (internal organs, especially those in the abdominal cavity). The term may also refer to: * Evisceration (autotomy), ejection of viscera as a defen ...

. Occlusive dressings come in various forms, including

petrolatum Petroleum jelly, petrolatum (), white petrolatum, soft paraffin, or multi-hydrocarbon, CAS number 8009-03-8, is a semi-solid mixture of hydrocarbons (with carbon numbers mainly higher than 25), originally promoted as a Topical medication, topica ...

, which sticks to the skin surrounding the wound using petrolatum. They can also be used to enhance the penetration and absorption of topically-applied medications, such as

ointment A topical medication is a medication that is applied to a particular place on or in the body. Most often topical medication means application to body surfaces such as the skin or mucous membranes to treat ailments via a large range of classes ...

s and creams. Furthermore, they may be used as part of

in vivo Studies that are ''in vivo'' (Latin for "within the living"; often not italicized in English) are those in which the effects of various biological entities are tested on whole, living organisms or cells, usually animals, including humans, an ...

acute toxicity tests of dermal irritation and sensitization. The test animal is shaved and the test material is applied to the skin and wrapped in an occlusive material. The skin is then exposed after 23 hours and an assessment for redness and

edema Edema (American English), also spelled oedema (British English), and also known as fluid retention, swelling, dropsy and hydropsy, is the build-up of fluid in the body's tissue (biology), tissue. Most commonly, the legs or arms are affected. S ...

is made. This assessment is repeated 48 hours later. On the loss of a fingernail or thumbnail, the area under the

eponychium In human anatomy, the eponychium is the thickened layer of skin at the base of the fingernails and toenails. It can also be called the medial or proximal nail fold. Its function is to protect the area between the nail and epidermis from exposure ...

(cuticle) can be packed with this type of dressing to act as a

stent In medicine, a stent is a tube usually constructed of a metallic alloy or a polymer. It is inserted into the Lumen (anatomy), lumen (hollow space) of an anatomic vessel or duct to keep the passageway open. Stenting refers to the placement of ...

. This helps prevent the cuticle from fusing to the exposed nail bed; otherwise, such fusion can prevent regrowth of a new nail.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Occlusive Dressing Medical dressings