A New High Water Vapor Permeable Polyetherurethane Film Dressing

Abstract

This study summarizes the Ph.D.-research project concerning the development of a new high water vapor permeable wound dressing. The dressing is composed of a 15 μm thin polyetherurethane (PEU) film, which has many non-interconnected cavities to enable a high water vapor permeability up to 20.1 g · m⁻² · h⁻¹ · kPa⁻¹. Since only water vapor permeates through the PEU dressing, the wound exudate underneath is condensed into a gelatinous coagulum. Epithelialization was accelerated by 25% under the clot-permissive PEU film compared with the fluid retaining OpSite® film. In clinical situations on donor sites and grafted full-thickness burn wounds, the PEU film indeed prevented fluid accumulation and induced the formation of a “red” coagulum underneath. It furthermore reduces pain significantly compared to conventional paraffin gauze dressing. In conclusion, the optimum environment for epithelialization is a wound, in which the exudate is permitted to gelatinize between moist and dry.