RE-USABILITY AND TAPELESS

RE-USABILITY AND TAPELESS

A key feature of Tapeless is the ability to reuse the dressing holder numerous times.  The question arises as to the number of times that the product may be reused, but as should be obvious, it depends on a number of factors.

First, is the end point at which the user no longer feels comfortable with that particular product.  Tapeless has a testimonial that asserts 100 applications but it is reasonable to say that not everyone would use it for 100 times.  

Factors that influence product usefulness include:

            Location – wound dressing holders situated at points of friction or movement are subject to more wear and tear than static areas, but still have significant numbers of applications.

            Type of wound- wounds with heavy drainage may influence longevity if the user is concerned about staining and discoloration, even though the dressing holder is still functional and may be washed “clean”.  The number of dressing changes per day may also influence product durability but remember that as use increases, so does cost effectiveness .

             Care - holders are washable and reusable and since the material contains a polypropylene plastic, drying restrictions must carefully be observed.  The holder should only be air-dried.  Surprisingly, the temperature of the water or the nature of the cleanser does not affect washing.  Washing should be by hand or in a lingerie bag.

            Material integrity - as usage is increased, the material may pill from repeated applications and removals of the Velcro, but function is unaffected.  If the dressing is not properly sized, closure may be tighter than dictated by the anatomic design and the material may fray, or in extreme situations, may tear. 

Although it is best to avoid applying a specific number to uses, most often, taking into account the above mentioned factors, dressing holders should be effective for a minimum of a dozen applications.

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