Wound Healing & Wounds
Physiology of wound healing
Wound healing starts with blood clotting to stop the bleeding and for provisionary wound closure. The exudation phase is characterized by inflammation and oedema. A fluid, the wound exudate, contains a variety of essential substances, e.g. enzymes, growth and cells necessary for an undisrupted healing process.
The regeneration and proliferation of new cells occurs in the granulation phase. The newly formed tissue fills in the wound from underneath and has a bright red appearance. Finally, the build-up of a new skin layer from the wound edges, epithelialization, completes the wound healing process and closes the wound.
Cuts: upon acute violent impact (e.g. while cutting bread), often bleeding and with slightly dehiscent wound edges.
Lacerations: upon over-expansion and straining of tissue elasticity, leave irregular, jagged wound edges, often-decelerated wound healing and a tendency to scar formation. Larger lacerations require surgical clean cutting of the wound edges and closure via sutures.
Abrasions: abrading of the upper skin layers, usually harmless but often contaminated. Larger abrasions are very painful since the injury extends to the nerve endings subjacent to the skin.
Expertise in plaster technology
Based on long term expertise in plaster technology Hansaplast is one of the world´s leading plaster brands. Our experts at the Skin Research Centre in Hamburg have more than 100 years experience in plaster technology, wound care and the therapeutic treatment of skin. Working in close collaboration with leading health care experts, they are at the forefront of scientific developments and technology. This ensures reliable and effective product innovations.
Elastoplast products follow high standards when it comes to delivering utmost quality and efficiency proven products with excellent skin compatibility.
Elastoplast is a leading brand in wound-care products with top efficacy and safety combined with excellent quality and medical competence and offers a wide range of high quality products that make the brand the No.1 choice for millions of people around the world.
The role of a plaster in wound healing
The objective of wound dressings is to protect the wound and allow the wound to heal as undisturbed as possible. The main objectives are:
• Protect the wound against external influences and prevent contamination and infection.
• Ensure the absorption of blood and secretion.
• Wound pad should not adhere to the wound to reduce pain and mechanical trauma when dressing is removed and to improve patient’s comfort.
Plaster technology
Depending on where the wound is located, there are choices, which will offer the ideal plaster technology, shape, size, material or adhesion tailored to the specific needs. To offer the right coverage for a wound, plasters are available in different strip sizes or as dressing length, which can be cut to the desired size. Elastoplast offers a selection of universal and high-tech solutions for the treatment of the most frequent minor injuries. For further information see: Wound Dressing Know-How.