Join Our Fight Against Wound Infection – Say #NoToStaphy

I seldom attend events especially when they are set on weekdays but one Wednesday morning last year had me getting ready to go out right after the kids hopped onto their school service. What had me waking up extra early and braving the morning traffic? An invitation from LEO Pharma™ and their digital partner PurpleBug® to a Mommy Bloggers Meet and Greet Event featuring talks about wound care by Dr. Kristine Guitierrez and Dr. Irene Gardiner, both experts in the field of medicine. Yes, I didn’t mind traveling from my little abode in the East all the way to Sofitel Manila and back because I believe that every mom like me SHOULD know proper wound care.

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Dr. Irene Gardiner, Dr. Kristine Gutierrez, and Mr. Lars Olen (VP Leo Pharma Global)

 

WOUND CARE 101: MYTHS DEBUNKED

What’s the first thing you do when your child comes running to you with a wound? I bet the first thing you do is grab that bottle of hydrogen peroxide to clean the wound and to immediately kill the germs. The more bubbles there are the better, right? I’ll be bursting your bubble but that is SO NOT TRUE! Hydrogen Peroxide may kill some of the germs (I say MAY because it doesn’t always do) but it also destroys the cells that help repair the wound. The same thing goes for alcohol. Next time, your child has a minor wound, just wash it with soap and water.

Myth #1: Wounds should be cleaned with hydrogen peroxide.

Myth Debunked: Hydrogen Peroxide destroys other cells. Use soap and water instead.

You check your child’s wound and see that there’s no foul odor coming from it and there’s no drainage. You breathe a sigh of relief that there’s no infection. Uh-oh! Better put some medicine on that wound because ALL wounds are susceptible to infection. Even if there’s no foul odor or visible pus, your child’s wound could still be infected.

Myth #2: All infected wounds have foul odor and drainage.

Myth Debunked: All wounds are susceptible to infection.

 

After you have cleansed your child’s wound, you keep it dry and uncovered for it to heal faster. You could even use a wound healing tool like Woundvite. After all, you have always been told that bacteria will flourish under a wound dressing. Wrong! First, cells need moisture to grow, so keeping your wounds moist will help it heal faster with less scarring. Second, bacteria will only flourish if you don’t change the dressing regularly.

Myth #3: Keep wounds dry.

Myth #4: Bacteria will flourish under a wound bandage.

Myths Debunked: Wounds heal faster if kept moist.

 

Now that we have debunked some of the most common wound care myths, the next thing we moms absolutely need to know is how to properly treat wounds.

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Dr. Kristine Guitierrez says #NoToStaphy with Fucidin!

 

WOUND CARE 101: STEPS TO PROPER WOUND CARE

After finding out that wound should not be cleaned with hydrogen peroxide, I’m sure you’re now at a loss what to do when someone in the family has a wound. Here are the 7 steps to proper wound care I learned during the event:

 

  1. STOP the bleeding by applying steady but gentle pressure. If necessary, elevate the wounded area.
  2. CLEAN the wound and the area around it with soap and water. Remember, no hydrogen peroxide or alcohol please.
  3. PROTECT against wound infection by using topical medicine such as Fucidin®
  4. COVER big wounds with bandage to decrease chances of infection and to aid in faster healing.
  5. CHANGE the dressings when the bandage becomes dirty or wet.
  6. OBSERVE for signs of infection such as redness, increasing pain, warmth or swelling around the area, and pus oozing out.
  7. CONSULT your doctor if infection does not heal, if the wound needs stitching, if the bleeding does not stop, or if the wound is from animal bites.

 

During the event, I not only learned more about wound care but also received my very own wound care kit. Inside my first aid kit were sterile cotton balls and cotton-tipped swabs, gauze pads, plastic strips, surgical scissors, medical tape, antiseptic (for sterilizing hands not the wound!), and, of course, my partner in wound care, Fucidin® Ointment.

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SAY NO TO STAPHY, SAY YES TO FUCIDIN

Have you met Staphy? I have met Staphy the mascot and found him cute instead of scary. BUT the real Staphy (staphylococcus aureus) is nowhere near cute. Staphy lives in our skin and in mucous membranes such as inside the nose. He isn’t considered harmful on ordinary days but this naughty bacteria wrecks havoc when there’s a break in the skin surface. Staphy finds its way underneath the skin, multiplies, and infects the skin and underlying tissues in the wound. Naughty Staphy causes nasty wound infections!

STAPHY 1There’s no need to fret though ‘cause LEO PharmaTM has been providing us the best weapon against wound infection – Fucidin®. I remember Fucidin as one of the medicines we always had in our medicine kit when I was young. Yes, Fucidin has been in the market for many years now (And, yes, I am old! :D). It has been proven to effectively fight against wound infection without minimal side effects and risk of sensitization. It’s safe enough to be used by babies and pregnant women.

Fucidin® comes in two formulations – Fucidin® Ointment and Fucidin® Cream. Dr. Guiterrez shared an easy to remember mnemonic to help us decide which formulation to use:

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If the wound is MOIST, use CREAM.
If the wound is DRY, use OINTMENT

 

JOIN OUR FIGHT AGAINST WOUND INFECTION

As moms, one of our duties is to keep our kids LEO Pharmahealthy and happy. That also includes making sure that they are well-protected against wound infections. With partners like LEO PharmaTM whose mission is to help people achieve healthy skin, we moms can go full force against infection.

Join us in our fight and say #NoToStaphy! Check out the following social media sites to know more about proper care for wound infection and Fucidin®:

 

Fucidin Team

 

#NOTOSTAPHY