Latex Free Bandages

I am seeking some advice on compression bandages in the acute post operative phase.

I have been asked by the wound care CNC of our hospital to see if there is a latex free alternative to the Elset S bandages we use for our new amputees in order to attempt to comply with latex minimisation policy of the hospital.

Do you know of any latex free alternatives to the Elset S bandages?

We have been ordering/using these for as long as I’ve been around here and my reasoning for the ‘medium stretch’ bandage was that the stiffer short stretch Conco bandages were a bit too aggressive ( unfriendly to fresh surgical wounds) and that long stretch bandages didn’t offer the structure and support needed for such compression therapy, is this correct? I wanted to gain perspective on the reasons why we always have used this specific bandage in acute stump compression before I go searching for a latex free alternative.

Any advice would be helpful .

1 comment

    • lynette Wakefield on June 7, 2016 at 8:35 pm
    • Reply

    Hi Christine,

    I’ve work in the amputee area for some 30 year and never had to deal with this one. Whilst latex free would be nice, finding this in a soft conforming bandage of suitable size might be a challenge. I discovered this website http://www.allergy.org.au/health-professionals/papers/management-of-latex-allergic-patients/latex-free-producthttp://www.allergy.org.au/health-professionals/papers/management-of-latex-allergic-patients/latex-free-product of the Australasian College of Clinical Immunology and Allergy which states there is no mandatory labelling with respect to the natural rubber latex content of medical device (bandages included) and indicates that distributors should be should be contacted for specific product information. They have placed a small list of products on this web page I presume having done this. They might be of some help or offer some advice.

    A couple of bandages appear with a google search for latex free bandages but clearly this would not be sufficient evidence if this web page is accurate and I have never used any of them.

    You could look at removable rigid dressings and explore with your prosthetic supplier the latex content of stump shrinkers/ liners and move to these where appropriate but If you are not having problems with Elset and can find only less suitable latex free bandages I would run the argument that this is one instance where the risk of latex are outweighed by the ? cost and less desirable characteristics of latex free products. The website acknowledges that there are no substitutes for some products containing latex. If you introduce a new bandage that is latex free then at the very least keep some data to ensure that your outcomes are as good as with Elset.

    Good luck with this one and I love to hear the outcome!
    Kind Regards

    Lynne Wakefield

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

To prevent spam, please answer the following question: * Time limit is exhausted. Please reload the CAPTCHA.