Frequently Asked Questions

The Activon range can be used under compression bandaging. The amount of exudate would influence your choice of Algivon, Activon Tulle or Actilite with an appropriate absorbent secondary dressing such as Eclypse. As compression bandaging is ideally designed to be left in place for a full week Algivon may be appropriate due to the fact that, in the presence of exudate, the alginate fibres swell, forming a sodium-calcium gel on their surface which combines with the honey. The resulting honey-gel complex prolongs the retention of honey at the wound site, increasing effectiveness. The secondary dressing must be appropriate to the exudate level and will influence wear time.

Both dressings could be put into a cavity wound, again dependant on exudate levels. If there is a possibility of sinus within the wound base then Activon Tube should be used to ensure that the honey reaches the entire wound bed.

Activon Tulle can be unfolded and applied, however this will reduce the level of honey at the wound bed. The triple layer of the gauze delivers the optimum amount of honey to the wound bed therefore unfolding the dressing would affect efficacy.

While there is no known case of honey influencing blood glucose levels adversely, it is recommended that the blood sugar levels of animals with diabetes are monitored when using honey.

There have been reports of honey causing a stinging pain when applied to the wound. This appears to be due to the acidity of honey, as pain is not experienced when neutralised honey is used. The pain experienced does not seem to be indicative of damage being done to the wound, as wounds have healed rapidly in cases where animals have endured the pain to benefit from the stimulation of healing that they see, and in cases where analgesia has been used.

There is evidence that honey stimulates nocioceptors (Al-Swayeh and Ali, 1998), nerve endings that create a pain sensation in response to heat, acidity and some organic chemicals. It may be that it is not a direct effect of the acidity of honey, as neutralising honey could affect the ionisation of some of its components and make them unable to fit in the nocioceptors. It is possible that in some animals these nerve endings are sensitised and are more responsive to the acidity and/or the component organic chemicals of honey.

This would be dependant on the grade of wound and the level of exudate. In a heavily exuding or necrotic wound your choice would be Algivon however if the wound is producing moderate exudate then Activon Tulle would be the dressing of choice.

The dressings can be left in place for up to seven days, again this would depend on the exudate levels produced by the wound and the appearance of the dressing. As long as the dressing has maintained it’s original colour (the honey is present) it can remain in situ.

Known allergy to bee-venom. Although no known instance of increased levels of blood sugar in animals with diabetes. It is advisable to closely monitor the levels. Increased pain may be experienced due to acidification.

The backing is waterproof. However due to the hydrophobic nature of silicone if water does come between the skin and the contact layer then adherence will be lost.

No. The backing is waterproof, low friction and prevents strike through.

Wicking is vertical and lateral, ensuring maximum use of all the foam in the dressing.

Advazorb Silfix is ideal for wounds with fragile skin that require a degree of compression/ secondary fixation. Advazorb Border is ideal for hard to dress wounds where secondary fixation isn't possible/ required.

No due to the risk of infection.

As silicone is hydrophobic it is easier to handle if your gloves are wet, preventing Silflex from sticking to your gloves.

14 days is the maximum wear time for Silflex, however it is recommended that a 180 degree rotation is undertaken to prevent over granulation.

This is merely the way it was designed however, some practitioners have commented that the size of holes allow for easier passage of exudate.

We do not advise use of Eclypse super absorbent dressings on arterial bleeds or heavily bleeding wounds. The wicking action and absorption of the dressing will absorb the blood making it difficult to assess the amount of blood loss.

All Eclypse dressings cannot be cut, the edges are sealed, cutting would lead to shedding of the internal fibres, which could lead to potential foreign body reactions in the wound.

Eclypse Adherent can be used on all wound types as either a primary or secondary dressing due to its unique soft silicone contact layer, which prevents adherence to the wound bed. On wounds with broken tissue it may be necessary to use an additional primary contact layer with Eclypse for example Silflex. Eclypse can be used as a primary contact layer where the skin is in tact.

Yes Eclypse can be used under compression. In respect of use under compression, Eclypse in its dry state is a very flat dressing and will not adversely affect compression values.

The backing is a water resistant barrier film to prevent strike-through with a high moisture vapour transfer rate prolonging wear ability.

The dressing has a rapid wicking face combined with the highly absorbent moisture locking system. The absorbent layer provides a large capacity with rapid fluid uptake ensuring the exudate is drawn away from the wound bed and surrounding tissue, preventing maceration.

Eclypse can be left in place for up to 7 days but will need to be changed more frequently depending on the level of exudate. Once saturated the dressing may become heavy and sag these are all signs that the Eclypse needs to be renewed.

Wear time will depend on the level of exudate, daily changes may be required, but Eclypse can be left in place for up to 7 days. Because of the excellent fluid handling capability of the dressing, it may become heavy and cause sagging when saturated. Once the crystals are swollen and full of exudate they may cause pressure on the wound bed making it necessary to change Eclypse.

The Eclypse dressings will rapidly absorb fluid with a capacity for 6000gms/sq meter. This volume can be absorbed and retained within the dressing in a period of 5 minutes.

Eclypse Adherent is the dressing of choice, when skin is fragile or when any adherence would lead to trauma or pain.