Adhesive Tape Irritation...Help!!

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Specializes in M/S, Tele, Sub (stepdown), Hospice.

So, I have a patient with daily drsg changes & we've been using paper tape. His skin is so irritated I don't know what to do! The wound is on his coccyx & he is ambulatory so it needs to stick properly to him. I've tried using tegaderm but it doesn't stay on as great as the paper tape.

Are there any tricks out there that I can use so his skin doesn't become so painful & irritated?!?

Thanks!! :nurse:

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Specializes in ER.

In the ED we do a lot of I&D's on various wounds including pilonidal cysts which are right on the coccyx. I have found the best way to dress a draining wound in that area on an ambulatory patient is to have them wear snug fitting underwear and fit a peri pad over the area. It is easy to change the dressing and there is no tape involved.

I don't know if this would help in your situation, but it works. Men are not crazy about the idea of wearing a peri pad in their underwear but it beats ripping tape off your skin!

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Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.

I have some sort of an allergy to some adhesives... to this day I've not yet figured out what ingredient it is, but sometimes it's paper tape and sometimes it's cloth tape and sometimes it's regular "bandages" (like Band-Aid but off-brand). I've even reacted to EKG leads (still had the marks TWO WEEKS later, looked like I'd been in a fight with an octopus!).

If I'm having something done, I have them use Kerlix when at all possible. That's going to be problematic on a coccyx wound, though. Do you have the gel bandages available?

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Specializes in M/S, Tele, Sub (stepdown), Hospice.

Hmmmm....I don't now how he would feel about snug fitting underwear...but I can ask him LOL!

I'll also look into gel bandages. I can't use Kerlix b/c it's right on his coccyx......unless I make underwear out of Kerlix....:bugeyes:

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Specializes in ER.
Hmmmm....I don't now how he would feel about snug fitting underwear...but I can ask him LOL!

I'll also look into gel bandages. I can't use Kerlix b/c it's right on his coccyx......unless I make underwear out of Kerlix....:bugeyes:

We keep packages of the large OB type peri pads that actually come with some mesh underwear that might be useful. It is sort of a "one size fits all" deal, so it may not be appropriate. There is a wide mesh that is also used to keep burn dressings in place on a patient trunk, abdomen or thigh that may be useful. It comes in a fairly wide variety of sizes.

It doesn't take long to really cause some skin damage with tape! Good luck!

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