Abstract

Aims: To compare between Calcium Alginate dressing and Paraffin Gauze dressing over the split thickness skin graft donor site area. Place and Duration of study: The cases of the present study were selected from the patients admitted in surgical ward in various units of Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital, Laheriasarai, Darbhanga between December 2009 and November 2010. Methodology: Subjects with split thickness skin graft donor sites, 18 years of age and over were included in this study. The patients were assigned randomly to either the Calcium alginate group or the Paraffin gauze group. Results: Ease of dressing was judged to be significantly more convenient with calcium alginate dressings than those for paraffin gauze dressings (P=.05).The amount of dressing soakage was significantly less with calcium alginate dressings than with paraffin gauze dressings (P=.05). Calcium alginate treated sites were less painful than those treated by paraffin gauze as assessed clinically and this difference was significant statistically (P=.05). Removal of calcium alginate dressing was significantly less painful than paraffin gauze dressing (P=.05). Ease of dressing removal was judged to be significantly more convenient with calcium alginate dressings than those for paraffin gauze dressings (P=.05). Calcium alginate treated donor sites were reepithelialized completely within a mean time of 7-10 days, whereas paraffin gauze treated donor sites required a mean time of 10-14 days for complete reepithelialization (P=.05).