Special to OWM: Making An Innovation Stick

Despite manufacturing a wide range of products available throughout the globe, 3M (St. Paul, MN) is best known for its tapes. How did the company expand from the invention of masking tape by Richard Drew in 1925 and the 1930 introduction of 3M Scotch Brand Cellulose Tape into the medical market?

Before 1960, medical tapes were far from ideal. They blocked perspiration, irritated the skin, and were painful to remove. Over 3 years, a team of company scientists led by researcher Dr. Frank Copeland developed the industry’s first microporous adhesive tape, 3M^™ Micropore Surgical Tape. Following that introduction, the company heard a surgeon was cutting and sterilizing pieces of this tape to use in the operating room.¹ In response, the company developed smaller wound closure adhesives that could be applied directly to patient skin, and in 1962, 3M^™ Steri-Strip^™ Skin Closures were introduced to the health care world.

Fifty-three years later, that innovation remains a trusted and relevant tool for clinical professionals worldwide, with more than 1 billion Steri-Strips sold to date. These versatile adhesive bandage strips, designed to close small wounds, are breathable and sterile; they increase the tensile strength of the wound and lead to less tissue trauma and better cosmetic outcomes compared to sutures and staples.² More than 100 studies have shown these closures to be safe, effective, and associated with a lower wound infection rate than invasive sutures or staples.

Surgical site infections (SSIs). SSIs are the second most common healthcare-associated infection (HAI) after pneumonia and account for 21.8% of all HAIs.^2,3 For surgical patients specifically, post-op SSIs are the most common HAI, occurring in up to 5% of patients.⁴ The National Healthcare Safety Network operative procedure types associated with the most SSIs were colon surgeries (14.5%), hip arthroplasties (10.0%), and small-bowel surgeries (6.4%).³ A 5-year study where these strips were used as the sole skin closure on 350 wounds from abdominal operations found not only did they help lower infection rates, but they also shrunk costs and reduced time in the operating room versus conventional methods. The same study also suggested cosmetic results were much improved as a result of the closure’s ability to eliminate needle puncture marks and suture canal scarring.² Additional studies have reported Steri-Strips improve cosmesis, reduce pain, and save costs.^2,5

In addition, recent review articles comparing various surgical wound closure methods (sutures, staples, and adhesive strips) report these closures are fast, simple, inexpensive, comfortable, provide minimal reactivity, and need no removal (they detach on their own). They are increasingly used after subcuticular suturing to aid in good apposition of the tissues.^6,7

Responsive to Clinician/Patient Needs

Over the part 50+ years, the company has increased the variety and size availability of Steri-Strip products. The newest is an antibacterial version to help in the effort to reduce SSIs. This new version contains an active agent with proven effectiveness at killing common pathogens including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Entercoccus faecalis, and Staphylococcus epidermidis, demonstrated in studies on 3M Ioban, a surgical drape containing the same antimicrobial agent.⁸

Additional options available to clinicians include closures with reinforced or elastic backing, products in various skin tone options, and a more complete wound closure system that combines the strips with 3M^™ Tegaderm^™ Transparent Dressing into 1 waterproof product.

Although medical advancements continue at a rapid pace (a 2015 analysis in The Journal of the American Medical Association⁹ says the United States alone contributes $117 billion annually toward medical research, including public and private sources), not all products “stick.” Because of innovative tweaks and a solid history, Steri-Strip closures are an innovation that has the sticking power of the years. 

Sandy Bentley-Williams is a board-certified WOC Nurse and provides technical and clinical guidance for 3M’s Healthcare Division on several advanced wound care products. This article was not subject to the Ostomy Wound Management peer-review process.