![]() The military applicator for the hydrogel dressing is a preloaded, double-barreled gun device that can be operated with one hand. ![]() Soldiers can use the dressing to patch large, bleeding wounds until further medical care is available, says Sameer Shums, project director at Georgia-based company BioCure, which collaborated with Rutgers University researchers to develop the bandage. Food & Drug Administration approved the marketing of a hydrogel liquid bandage, intended for field soldiers, that can absorb up to one-third its weight in blood and fluids over 72 hours. Dunshee, a chemical engineer at adhesives company 3M.ĭevelopment of liquid first aid for complicated wounds in military situations continues. However, the industry is moving toward acrylate copolymers and solvents for OTC products, which make it more difficult for consumers to, for example, accidentally glue their foot to the floor, says Wayne K. Since then, some manufacturers have included octylcyanoacrylates in OTC liquid bandages. Long-chain octylcyanoacrylate-based glues were approved for medical use first in Canada and Europe and then in the U.S. This powerful class of instant adhesives is commonly known as “superglue.” In the 1960s, researchers considered using ethylcyanoacrylate superglue-the same found in hardware stores today-for closing up wounds, and soldiers even used it during the Vietnam War.ĭespite positive results on the battlefield, ethylcyanoacrylate has never been approved for civilian medical use and should not be used on the skin for two main reasons: The short ethyl chains degrade in the body and release toxic compounds, and the manufacturing process is not sterile or monitored to prevent impurities. ![]() Suture replacements are based on cyanoacrylates that polymerize when they come in contact with moisture from skin or tissue. And products with solvents such as hexamethyldisiloxane or isooctane contain acrylate or siloxane polymers. Alcohol-based versions can contain nitrocellulose or poly(methylacrylate-isobutene-monoisopropylmaleate). Water-based systems include poly( N-vinylpyrrolidone). Synthetic formulations of skin protectants approved for medical use today leave a polymer film on the skin when the solvent carrier evaporates. For centuries, humans have applied layers of honey, sorghum syrup, or tree sap to shield their wounds. People had been using liquid bandages well before the medical versions came on the market. Suture replacements are less traumatic for patients than staples or stitches because they do not require anesthesia or a return trip for removal.Ī major difference between the two categories of liquid bandages is that suture replacements can be used on a bleeding wound, whereas skin protectants don’t successfully cover cuts that are actively oozing. Doctors and veterinarians may also use these materials to repair some cuts to internal organs or to close surgical incisions. Professional health care providers use this type of liquid bandage to join together more serious skin lacerations. The second category of liquid bandages is called suture replacements or tissue adhesives. Skin protectants are over-the-counter (OTC) gels and sprays that can shield everything from superficial scrapes to large, chronic bedsores. Two general categories of liquid bandages exist. Liquid bandages can stick better than plastic or fabric adhesive bandages to many hard-to-bandage areas, such as knuckles and between fingers. ![]() How long that takes depends on the type of liquid bandage and the depth of the wound. The bandages work by sealing the wound until the damaged area heals and the surrounding skin and bandage slough off. It reduces pain by covering nerve endings and helps wounds heal by maintaining a proper moisture balance and keeping bacteria and debris out, says Ann Salamone, president of Rochal Industries, a private research company in Boca Raton, Fla., that develops polymer systems for wound care. First Aid Consumers can use over-the-counter liquid bandages (shown here) to cover small cuts.Īlthough traditional bandages, stitches, and staples are far from obsolete, many medical professionals, consumers, and even the military are turning to liquid bandages to patch up injuries ranging from hangnails to head wounds.Ī liquid bandage is a colorless adherent material that can be sprayed or painted directly on a wound. ![]()
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