Breast biopsies- steri-strips and blisters

Specialties Wound

Published

Specializes in NICU, adult med-tele.

Anyone here work with a lot of breast biopsy patients?

We have many patients for ultrasound or stereotactic breast biopsies. The techs use steri-strips to close the incision afterwords. Occasionally these patients will call back or come in day 2 or 3 after the procedure with a blister. It is always the same location, the top or bottom of the steri-strip, or sometimes both. The configuration of the strip does not seem to make a difference. We have tried using a "star" type criss-cross, vertically and horizontally placed strips. I have a theory that it is from the weight of the breast dragging downward on the strip, tugging on the skin. I can't think of what else it might be, or how to prevent it. We use an Alcare skin prep under the strip. It is not a contact dermatitis, the blister is only at the top or bottom of the strip.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

Specializes in NICU, adult med-tele.

Nobody, eh? Maybe the wound care folks might have an idea.

Specializes in NICU, adult med-tele.

Hoping one of the wound care nurses might have an idea.

We have many patients for ultrasound or stereotactic guided breast biopsies. The techs use steri-strips to close the incision afterwords. Occasionally these patients will call back or come in day 2 or 3 after the procedure with a blister. It is always the same location, the top or bottom of the steri-strip, or sometimes both. The configuration of the strip does not seem to make a difference. We have tried using a "star" type criss-cross, vertically and horizontally placed strips. I have a theory that it is from the weight of the breast dragging downward on the strip, tugging on the skin. I can't think of what else it might be, or how to prevent it. We use an Alcare skin prep under the strip. It is not a contact dermatitis, the blister is only at the top or bottom of the strip. Patients describe it as a water blister- usually by the time we see them it is just an open, excoriated place.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

I recently had a patient that had the same thing. The blisters were small and she said they didn't bother her and went away when the steri strips were removed

Love your screen name btw :-)

We used the steri strips in a star pattern with tincture of benzoin underneath. I never had a patient or heard of a patient complain of any sort of blisters near the steri-strips in the two years I worked in Radiology.

Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Merged threads.

Specializes in NICU, adult med-tele.

Thanks for merging, admin.

Tincture of benzoin. I will have to look into that. Thanks!

Lindseylpn- sometimes the patients report they don't even notice them, then sometimes they will be more bothersome than the actual biopsy. Then we will go weeks, months even before I hear of anyone having this problem. Then all of a sudden we will have 2 or 3.

I think you're correct, it's from shear and friction of the steri strip combined with the weight of the breast. I might suggest dermabond?

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Specializes in NICU, adult med-tele.

Dermabond! That's a good idea. Thanks!

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