2010 Volume 120 Issue 11 Pages 2187-2194
One of the basic approaches to wound management is moist wound healing. “Wrap Therapy”, which easily creates a moist environment by using the clear plastic wrap intended for foods, is based on this theory and is becoming more common in Japan. Although clear plastic wrap for foods is not approved for medical use, “Wrap Therapy” is inexpensive and effective as long as it is used by trained medical staff who have good knowledge of wound management. Unfortunately many people believe that it is an all-purpose therapy for healing any wound, and they apply “Wrap Therapy” without appropriate evaluation of wound conditions. Although many patients have been successfully treated with “Wrap Therapy”, we must realize that a considerable number of patients have suffered from severe complications. In this report, five representative cases of inadequate application of wet dressings that which caused severe infections are presented. I emphasize that imprudent use of “Wrap Therapy” should be strictly avoided.