Fake: Letting a wound breathe slows down healing and would not be recommended by a doctor.
Gay: Anon grabs someones spraying limb at the drive-in.
Why do they think letting a wound breathe is a good idea? Are we supposed to let it just sit when it’s an open wound? I think a band aid is better than nothing
It’s an old and widespread myth. I think many people continue to believe it because it’s uncomfortable when the skin/wound under a band-aid gets moist. I only learned that it is bullshit because my mom (a nurse) told me when I tried to do it as a kid.
I used to think that it was beneficial to prevent anaerobic bacteria from infecting the wound, since exposure to oxygen would limit their growth. My understanding of this is evolving, but it seems that some of the time it is true that a wound needs to “breathe” but that doesn’t mean it should be uncovered.
This article makes it clear that sometimes an “occlusive” bandage (one that completely prevents air/water transfer) is not right, in this case focusing on wounds with impaired circulation.
This article from a bandage manufacturer makes it clear that most of the time occlusive bandages are better, but there are different extents of occlusivity, and the bandage should be matched to the application.
Almost definitely right, but I’ve had a doctor tell me the same.
Doctors have a lot of ‘go away and leave me alone’ statements that are mostly meant to just get you out the door.
Doctors have a lot of ‘go away and leave me alone’ statements that are mostly meant to just get you out the door.
Not just phrases, there’s a whole set of strategies.
I’ve lost count of the times my kids have been dismissed with a GTFO bandage and sent on their way. About half the time we’ve been called back the day after, when the orthopedic attendings have taken a look at what the residents screwed up over night.
Ota (open to air) is actually really common wound care advice. Wound care nursing is a pretty big specialty (like it requires a master’s and extra school) and most of the time they roll up on the unit and tell the patient to gently wash it then stop touching it. They tell me it’s not worth it to dress a lot of wounds because it actually traps bacteria. Honestly the part of this I find less believable is that a full thickness burn on the hand of all places would have to be super tiny like smaller than a pencil eraser to not get a plastic surgeon involved.
So I lost a decent chunk of skin and actually looked up advice for wound care for the first time in my life not too long ago and discovered everything I thought was wrong. Hopefully this helps someone who was as ignorant as I was. NYT thing is correct but practical advice if you have a wound:
Wash out with cold water to remove debris. Don’t apply soap to the wound if at all possible, but you can clean around it with soap. If there is still debris in the wound after you wash it out you can remove it with tweezers. Sterilize your tweezers first. Avoid touching the wound as much as possible. If it looks bad, needs stitches, or there’s debris you can’t remove see a doctor. Also make sure your tetanus shot is up to date.
Then: Apply plain petroleum jelly (vaseline) and cover with a non-stick dressing. Band-aids are fine but if it’s large you’re probably going to have to use medical tape and gauze pads. Replace at least daily or if the dressing gets dirty. There should be a layer of vaseline over the wound at all times though so you’re probably going to have to swap out 2-3 times a day.
OR
Buy and apply an advanced dressing with hydrocolloid or alginate. (Band-Aid Hydro Seal is one option that’s usually readily available.) The material absorbs wound exudate to create an environment which is optimal for healing. They’re waterproof and typically don’t need replacement for 3-7 days. Do not apply vaseline, read and follow the package directions.
It’s simple but wounds treated this way instead of drying out and scabbing heal drastically faster and with less scarring.