ersinkisacik / E + via Getty Images have patients who have very thin skin because of steroid use or their age , and being able to leave the dressing in place and see through it is another benefit ,” Sanford comments .
“ The other piece of what I ’ m seeing is that nursing loves it ,” and in turn , Baglio says , it ’ s increasing compliance to protocols and charting . “ It ’ s actually improving our two-nurse skin checks when patients are admitted or transfer to a different unit ,” she adds .
While clinicians have certainly noticed that the see-through feature is the big story , this new dressing has other qualities going for it . Here are a few :
HydroCore technology helps manage microclimate Typical foam dressings have pockets
% Reduction in peak pressure
80 %
70 %
60 %
50 %
40 %
30 %
20 %
10 %
0 % of air , which act as an insulator — but ultimately traps heat . Not a good thing when it comes to preventing pressure injuries . “ When you have hotter skin , the
Peak pressure reduction relative to no dressing 1
62 %
OptiView
35 %
Mepilex
54 %
Allevyn Life
12x more flexible than traditional multi-layer foam 1
skin cells have to work hard , increasing their metabolism and creating a higher chance of skin breakdown ,” explains Anthony Frei , Medline Director of Product Development , Skin Health .
With OptiView , in addition to being clear , the center island of the dressing includes a water-based gel , thus the “ hydro ” part of the name . “ Water is a very good conductor of heat , and it will actually pull heat away from the skin much more so than the foam dressings ,” Frei says . It also creates a cooling effect , which can feel soothing to a patient .
Greater dressing flexibility helps improve conformability and comfort Patients can wear OptiView longer than a standard multi-layer dressing because it conforms better to each individual ’ s body . This feature also allows for fewer dressing changes , in turn leading to less stress on underlying skin .
Halifax Health ’ s Jessica Rathburn , RN , wanted to test this feature for herself , so she wore an OptiView dressing on the small of her back for an entire shift . “ I was bending over looking at patients all day , walking up and down the hallways , and sometimes I ’ m hot — you know , we live in Florida , where it can be 110 degrees — but the OptiView dressing stayed put . And it was comfortable ,”
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