Fibers derived from brown seaweed or kelp. Alginate dressings can absorb 15-20 times their own weight in exudate and are manufactured in a range of products including flat sheets, ropes, and ribbons. Rope and ribbon dressings are used to pack cavity wounds, while flat sheets are used on surface wounds. Some products are self-adhesive but an appropriate secondary dressing is often used to keep the alginate in place and contain excess exudate.
Indicated Wounds for Alginate Dressing
Alginates can be used in a variety of wound situations. With sloughy wounds that also produce exudate, the alginate dressing provides a moist cover to prevent the wound from drying out and allowing the wound to heal more quickly. Common wound situations where alginate dressing can be applied are:
- Pressure ulcers
- Diabetic foot ulcers
- Cavity wounds
- Venous Leg Ulcers
- Post-operative wounds
- Trauma wounds
- Partial thickness burns
Most of the time, alginate dressings can be left unchanged for 5-7 days unless exudate capacity is reached. With infected wounds, the wound bed should be inspected daily.
Source: https://www.woundsource.com/blog/what-alginate-dressing