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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Cotton Chemistry and Utilization Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #220897
Title: Changing Dimensions of Alginate Bandage Fibers When Exposed to Water and 0.9% NaCl

Author
item FINK, TOM - UNIV. OF MISSISSIPPI
item Parikh, Dharnidhar

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/15/2008
Publication Date: 6/15/2008
Citation: Fink, T., Parikh, D.V. 2008. Changing Dimensions of Alginate Bandage Fibers When Exposed to Water and 0.9% NaCl. National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference. p. 1858.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: We examined the changing dimensions of alginate dressings (curasorb, algisite, sorbsan, kaltostat) as well as CM-cotton-print cloth when exposed to water or 0.9% NaCl for times varying from one to several minutes post-exposure to 8 hours and one week at room temperature. Alginate fibers all swelled noticeably in water and even much more so in NaCl. Results for antimicrobial AG/Na carboxymethyl dressing variations of the bandages experienced similar amounts of swelling. Preliminary measurements of individual fibers followed over one hour show most swelling occurs immediately and while fibers swell in diameter, the lengths of the fibers remain the same.