In vitro measurements of burn dressing adherence and the effect of interventions on reducing adherence

•Gelatin model enables reproducible measurement of quantifiable dressing adherence.•Model effective for in vitro evaluation of techniques to reduce dressing adherence.•Individual interventions were found to have a different impact on various dressings.•Water reduced adherence in all dressings, but was not always the optimal agent.•Despite being an in vitro model, findings coincide with our clinical observations.

PurposeThere is a paucity of research on reducing dressing adherence. This is partly due to lack of an in vitro model, recreating the clinical variability of wounds. Previously we described an in vitro gelatin model to evaluate adherence in a standardized manner. We present evaluation of strategies to reduce adherence in six dressings.ProceduresDressing materials used were: PET (Control), fine mesh gauze coated in bismuth and petroleum jelly (BIS), nanocrystalline silver (NS), wide mesh polyester coated in polysporin ointment (WM), fine mesh cellulose acetate coated in polysporin ointment (FM), and soft silicone mesh (SIL). The dressing material was applied to gelatin and incubated for 24 h. Adherence was tested using an Instron 5965 force-measurement device. Testing was repeated with various adherence reducing agents: water, surfactant, and mineral oil.ResultsAdherence from least to greatest was: SIL, NS, BIS, WM, FM, PET. Water reduced adherence in all dressings; the effect increasing with exposure time. Surfactant reduced adherence of NS. Mineral oil effectively decreased adherence of BIS, and WM.ConclusionThis model allows for reproducible measurement of dressing adherence. Different interventions affect various dressings. No single intervention optimally decreases adherence for all dressings.