In the life-or-death situation of treating wounds, the right medical supplies are a must.
Medical equipment comes in all shapes and sizes, for all sorts of needs. In some cases, you need a solid piece of equipment that you can rely on day in and day out. And other times, you need a seemingly endless supply of single-use items.
Wound care calls for a lot of the latter.
Most of us have been using bandaids for our entire lives, so it can be easy to over-simplify wound care. In fact, the treatment and dressing of a wound can be a life-or-death situation. You need wound care supplies that are both effective and comfortable, and you need a lot of them. You do not want to delay changing your dressing just because you’re running short on gauze.
At Helios, we’re proud to provide a full range of wound care supplies in Tampa and the surrounding areas. We understand how critical it is to have the right items in stock, and we know how important it is that our fellow Tampa-area residents have access to them.
Why We Need Wound Care
Very generally speaking, wound dressings provide two basic functions: To absorb fluids being extruded by the wound, and to protect the wound from bacteria and further damage.
Absorption (and generally keeping the wound dry) can be a major factor in the healing process. And the barrier over the wound is vital to preventing infection.
What to Know Before Purchasing Wound Care Supplies
Your first step as a patient is to get clear instructions from your medical providers, and to follow those instructions diligently. Infection is no joke. And any delay in your wound healing leaves you susceptible to life-threatening infection.
Be sure to ask your medical provider about that type of wound care supplies you’ll need, and for suggestions on how best to affix the dressing so that it’s secure, effective, and comfortable.
Types of Wound Care Supplies Available in Tampa
Keep in mind that there are a lot of dressing options out there, and they’re not all the same. What your doctor recommends will depend on the type of wound you’re treating and its size, as well as any other underlying medical considerations that may affect healing.
Here are some of the extensive dressings available.
- Gauze/cloth: An absorbent, ubiquitous, low-cost material.
- Non-adhesive dressing: A specially designed material that can be easily removed from a wound without pulling off tissue.
- Foam: Super-absorbent and used to cushion extensive wounds.
- Transparent film: A thin, waterproof barrier for superficial wounds.
- Hydrocolloid: An adhesive gel bandaid for minor wounds.
- Silver dressing: Used to mitigate and prevent infections in deep or chronic wounds.
Keep in mind, wound care often requires other medical supplies, including scissors, adhesive, and sometimes topical medicines. These, too, should be kept sanitized.
Tampa’s Wound Care Supplier
Wound care should be taken very seriously. Always make sure you have clear instructions from your medical provider on what type of dressing to use, how to apply it, and how frequently to change it.
For those in the midst of treating wounds, especially chronic wounds, access to ample wound care supplies is a must. Helios’ Tampa medical supply store stocks a full selection of the wound care products you need, and our helpful staff are always here to answer your questions and provide reassurance.