Foam dressing from 3M wins award

By Liz White, UT staffSt Paul, Minnesota-3Ms' new Foam Adhesive Dressing-Heel Design has received a Silver 2005 Medical Design Excellence Award for innovation. The polyurethane-based dressing-which will be sold as part of 3M's Tegaderm brand-"is unique in providing an easy-to-use solution for the significant problem of pressure ulcers on the heel and other highly contoured body sites that are difficult to dress," said a 3M statement. Describing the dressing as a "ground-breaking product," Brett Baynton, skin health marketing manager for 3M Medical Division said, "The occurrence of heel pressure ulcers is growing more common and they are difficult to dress because of the body's contours." The new product offers a cost-effective, time-saving solution for healthcare providers and a better outcome for patients, Baynton added. The highly absorbent, breathable wound dressing is made from a conformable polyurethane foam pad, an absorbent nonwoven layer and a top layer of transparent adhesive film. Since the film is permeable to moisture vapour, it helps prevent any strike through of wound exudate and acts as a barrier to contamination. The dressing also keeps the wound moist, which enhances healing, according to 3M. Another feature is easy application, one-handed, to difficult body contours, including heels and elbows.Traditionally, applying a dressing to a heel wound is time-consuming, costly and not always effective, involving cutting a dressing to conform over the heel and patching the cut segments with tape to secure the dressing. 3M's new design gives fast, easy application with no cutting, darting or patching required."