Liquid bandage is a topical skin treatment for minor wounds which binds to the

skin Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation. Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different ...

to form a protective polymeric layer that keeps dirt and germs out and moisture in.Petkewich, R. "Liquid Bandages" (2008) ''Chemical & Engineering News.'' vol. 86(24) p. 61. It can be directly applied to the wound after removing debris. For the fast-acting, reactive adhesive that is used to mend deep cuts or surgery wounds, see

cyanoacrylate Cyanoacrylates are a family of strong fast-acting adhesives with industrial, medical, and household uses. They are derived from ethyl cyanoacrylate and related esters. The cyanoacrylate group in the monomer rapidly polymerizes in the presence ...

s (specifically 2-Octyl cyanoacrylate). Liquid_bandage

Design

Liquid bandage is typically a

polymer A polymer () is a chemical substance, substance or material that consists of very large molecules, or macromolecules, that are constituted by many repeat unit, repeating subunits derived from one or more species of monomers. Due to their br ...

dissolved in a solvent (commonly water or an alcohol), sometimes with an added

antiseptic An antiseptic ( and ) is an antimicrobial substance or compound that is applied to living tissue to reduce the possibility of sepsis, infection, or putrefaction. Antiseptics are generally distinguished from ''antibiotics'' by the latter's abil ...

and

local anesthetic A local anesthetic (LA) is a medication that causes absence of all sensation (including pain) in a specific body part without loss of consciousness, providing local anesthesia, as opposed to a general anesthetic, which eliminates all sensati ...

, although the alcohol in some brands may serve the same purpose. These products protect the wound by forming a thin film of polymer when the carrier evaporates. Polymers used may include

polyvinylpyrrolidone Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), also commonly called povidone, is a water-soluble polymer compound made from the monomer ''N''-vinylpyrrolidone. PVP is available in a range of molecular weights and related viscosities, and can be selected according ...

(water based), ethyl cellulose,

pyroxylin Nitrocellulose (also known as cellulose nitrate, flash paper, flash cotton, guncotton, pyroxylin and flash string, depending on form) is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose through exposure to a mixture of nitric acid and ...

nitrocellulose Nitrocellulose (also known as cellulose nitrate, flash paper, flash cotton, guncotton, pyroxylin and flash string, depending on form) is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose through exposure to a mixture of nitric acid and ...

or poly(methylacrylate-isobutene-monoisopropylmaleate) (alcohol based), and

acrylate Acrylates (IUPAC: prop-2-enoates) are the salts, esters, and conjugate bases of acrylic acid. The acrylate ion is the anion . Often, acrylate refers to esters of acrylic acid, the most common member being methyl acrylate. These acrylates contain ...

siloxane In organosilicon chemistry, a siloxane is an organic compound containing a functional group of two silicon atoms bound to an oxygen atom: . The parent siloxanes include the oligomeric and polymeric hydrides with the formulae and . Siloxanes ...

polymers (

hexamethyldisiloxane Hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO or MM) is an organosilicon compound with the formula O i(CH3)3. This volatile colourless liquid is used as a solvent and as a reagent in organic synthesis. It is prepared by the hydrolysis of trimethylsilyl chlori ...

isooctane 2,2,4-Trimethylpentane, also known as isooctane or iso-octane, is an organic compound with the formula (CH3)3CCH2CH(CH3)2. It is one of several isomers of octane (C8H18). This particular isomer is the standard 100 point on the octane rating scal ...

solvent based). In addition to their use in replacing conventional bandages in minor cuts and scrapes, they have found use in surgical and veterinary offices. Liquid bandages are increasingly finding use in the field of combat, where they can be used to rapidly stanch a wound until proper medical attention can be obtained.

Scenarios for usage

Liquid bandages are suitable for clean cuts that close easily and shallow small wounds, as it will help both sides of the wound to bond and produce a suture-like effect. Due to the drying of liquid wound dressing, it will form a nonelastic film on the wound and cannot absorb tissue fluid. If the wound area is too large, it will actually hinder wound shrinkage and healing. It's not recommended for use on large wounds, abrasion patches, ulcers,

suppuration Pus is an exudate, typically white-yellow, yellow, or yellow-brown, formed at the site of inflammation during infections, regardless of cause. An accumulation of pus in an enclosed tissue space is known as an abscess, whereas a visible collec ...

, burns, sensitive skin areas around the eyes,

mucosa A mucous membrane or mucosa is a membrane that lines various cavities in the body of an organism and covers the surface of internal organs. It consists of one or more layers of epithelial cells overlying a layer of loose connective tissue. It ...

, and patients with

favism Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PDD), also known as favism, is the most common enzyme deficiency anemia worldwide. It is an inborn error of metabolism that predisposes to red blood cell breakdown. Most of the time, those who are ...

References

{{First aid topics Medical dressings Polymers Skin care

Design

Scenarios for usage

See also

References