How should adherent dressings be removed and when should they be avoided?

• A. Peel quickly to minimize pain.
• B. Apply saline solution before removal; removal can be painful; avoid during wound healing phases.
• C. Soak in warm water before removal.
• D. Use alcohol around edges during removal.

Answer: (B)

Adherent dressings stick to the wound bed, so pulling them off dry can pull on fragile tissue, cause pain, and damage healing tissue. The best approach is to loosen the dressing with saline before removal, creating a lubricating layer that reduces the shear force on the wound bed. This minimizes pain and tissue disruption, which is especially important while the wound is actively healing. Avoid removing adherent dressings during wound healing phases because taking them off can disturb newly formed tissue and delay recovery.

Peeling quickly without lubrication increases pain and tissue trauma, soaking in warm water can soften the dressing but may macerate surrounding skin, and using alcohol around the edges can irritate skin and harm the wound margins.