title: A fibre-free alginate dressing in the treatment of split thickness skin graft donor sites.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alginate dressings are gaining acceptance in would management although comparative published data with conventional treatment is inconclusive.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this randomised controlled study was to compare a fibre-free alginate dressing (Comfeel SeaSorb) with conventional treatment of standardised split-thickness skin graft donor sites in 17 patients regarding initial absorption of blood and healing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The alginate dressing absorbed 40% (P < 0.05) more blood, measured as total iron content of used dressings, during the first 10 post-wounding minutes than fine mesh gauze, resulting in less subsequent bleeding. Light microscopic examination of punch biopsies obtained from 10 wounds on post-operative day 6 demonstrated that nine wounds treated with the alginate dressing compared with seven wounds treated conventionally with paraffin-impregnated gauze (Jelonet) were completely epithelialized, a statistically non-significant difference (P = 0.46).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, the fibre-free alginate dressing showed increased initial blood absorption resulting in quicker haemostasis but showed no greater beneficial effect on epithelialisation of split-thickness skin graft donor sites compared with conventional topical treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Hvidovre Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Steenfos
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Agren
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D000368:Aged; D000464:Alginates; D001458:Bandages; D001769:Blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D000464:Alginates