Abstract

Turfburns and other forms of abrasions sustained while participating in sports present a special challenge for professionals who care for athletes; in addition to the usual problems of wound care, these lesions may limit performance both in practice and competition. Thirty-two college football players sustaining partial-thickness skin abrasions were treated with hydrocolloid dressing (Duo-Derm) following an open protocol. One athlete failed to complete the protocol due to personal scheduling conflicts. The abrasions all healed in 4-8 days (average 5.7) using a subjective rating scale, experienced athletic trainers rated skin appearance at discontinuation of treatment 26/31 (83.9) good to exellent and 5 (16.1) average for abrasion healing. The dressings met standard requirements for general abrasion healing plus special objectives for care of abrasions in athletes: 1) adherence in spite of sweating, 2) tolerance of clothing and equipment motion, 3) tolerance of increased body motion, 4) tolerance of shearing and collision forces of contact sports, and 5) prevention of wound exudate transmission to other athletes. A set of guidelines for the use of hydrocolloid dressings is presented. Verf.-Referat