no sting barrier film..

[bbylifsaver]

I would like to know if anyone uses the no sting barrier film by 3M under the dressing directly on the skin. this is being debated over by our picc team as some think it should not be directly applied to the skin but over the first op-site and laying another op-site over the first. Our team is fairly new and we are trying to come together on this. Any info is apprec.

[ilikglf]

The barrier film usually applied directly to skin. Applying on top of the op-site defeats the purpose. Barrier film is designed to place a layer between skin and adhesive of the securement dressing, op-site, tegaderm, tape, etc.

[Pedi-Gree, BSN, RN]

It definitely goes on the skin. It's sterile in the package so it can also be applied to wounds themselves, and it really doesn't sting! (It smells awful, though.) The lollipop ones are really user-friendly. There are other good reasons for using it besides its barrier properties. It makes the adhesive more adhesive. The dressing will stay on longer and Tegaderm edges don't lift quite as easily. So there could be a case for putting it on top of the Tegaderm as well as under it, if you're applying a second one for extra protection, or if you need to cover more area.

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

No you do not want to apply skin protectant or a no-skin barrier film over another Transparent Semi-Permeable Membrane (TSM) dressing. This could alter the rate of moisture vapor transmission,and thus alter the properties of the dressing. The INS does not recommend this either. You can, however, apply it directly to the skin...allow it to dry..and then apply your TSM or high MVP dressing over that. One type of Tegaderm (Tegaderm HP) is designed to work on diaphoretic skin,if you are having issues with that and have this product available to you.

[Pedi-Gree, BSN, RN]

I guess I should have been clearer. I didn't mean to put the No-Sting over the whole Tegaderm, only the area where the two would overlap when you need to use more than one to ensure a good coverage. Our unit is notorious for not stocking the sizes of things we're likely to need, and we're always having to use two or three dressings where one would do if we had the right size. They think we only look after neonates and infants post-op cardiac surgery and forget about our teenage re-ops, the traumas, the spinal instrumentations, so we get the tiny dressings and have to make do. (Same thing for staffing, but that's a rant for another thread.)