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An adhesive bandage (called a sticking plaster, just plaster, or Elastoplast (a trademark) in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Africa; often called Band-Aid (a trademark) generically in the United States, India, Canada, and Australia) is a small dressing used for injuries not serious enough to require a full-size bandage.
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Function
The adhesive bandage protects the cut, e.g. from friction, germs, damage, or dirt. Thus, the healing process of the body is less disturbed. Often they have antiseptic abilities. Some can even speed healing and minimize scarring.
Material
An adhesive bandage is usually covered by woven fabric, plastic, or latex rubber which has an adhesive. Adhesive bandages usually have an absorbent pad, often medicated with antiseptic. The bandage is applied such that the pad covers the wound, and the fabric or plastic sticks to the surrounding skin to hold the dressing in place and prevent dirt from entering the wound. Some newer bandages also contain woven strands of silver fiber, utilizing the natural antiseptic properties of silver to speed healing and minimize scarring.
Variations
Although there are many variations for adhesive bandages with the usual protecting function, there are also types specially made for certain occasions, e.g. sports medicine, food handlers and rehabilitation.
Examples
- Band-Aid
- Curad
- Nexcare
- Elastoplast
- YnotPlast
Food handlers
Special bandages are also used by food handlers. These are waterproof, have strong adhesive so they are less likely to fall off, and are usually bright blue in color (so that it is obvious to the wearer if it has fallen off into some food, this means that they do not contaminate the food). They are also detectable by special machines that are used in food manufacturing plants to ensure that food is free from foreign objects before it is shipped to the public.
Rehabilitation
Other types of adhesive bandages include Kinesio tape and McConnell tape. These are not medicated. Instead, these tapes are used for rehabilitation of muscles and joints. Kinesio taping can also be used to aid lymphatic flow and the treatment of Lymphedema.
Transdermal patch
Adhesive bandages with the function to distribute medication through the skin, rather than protecting a wound, are called transdermal patches.
References
See also
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