Physical Properties of Surgical Postoperative Dressings: A Comparative Study of Factors That Can Impact User Preference

To effectively support wound repair, wound dressing physical properties must be conducive to both moist wound healing and selection of the appropriate type of bandage to remove excess moisture. Such selection depends upon wound characteristics, including level of exudate production and location on the body. This study compared the physical properties of three commercially available antibacterial bandages (dressings 1–3).

All measurements on the physical properties of the three wound dressings were based on internationally adopted standards for total fluid handling (TFH), moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR), and physical characteristics related to conformability and adherence determined by measuring bending length, thickness, peel adhesion, coefficient of friction, and waterproofness.

The mean MVTR was 998.0 ± 226.0 g/m²/24 hours, 385.9 ± 30.0 g/m²/24 hours, and 2288.0 ± 250.0 g/m²/24 hours for dressings 1–3, respectively. The mean TFH was 6.43 ± 0.23 g/10 cm²/24 hours, 5.6 ± 0.6 g/10 cm²/24 hours, and 8.3 ± 0.7 g/10 cm²/24 hours for dressings 1–3, respectively. The mean peel adhesions were 10.5 ± 0.8 N/cm², 6.1 ± 0.3 N/cm², 15.4 ± 1.3 N/cm² for dressings 1–3, respectively.

Dressings 2 and 3 were assessed for bending conformability and coefficient of friction. The mean bending conformability was 20.4 ± 0.5 mm and 19.2 ± 0.8 mm, respectively. The mean coefficient of friction was 7.4 ± 1.2 N for Dressing 2, which was 6.7-fold higher than dressing 3, which had a coefficient of friction of 1.1 ± 0.1 N.

While all dressings were able to prevent the ingress or leakage of simulated wound fluid, dressing 3 exceeded other products in terms of breathability and fluid handling. Moreover, compared to dressings 1 and 2, the thin, yet strong, dressing 3 design and its reduced frictional properties will lessen the likelihood of physical trauma that can result from dressing changes or contact with clothes or bedsheets.