Sure Seal Bandaids

[ralph]

Has anyone used SureSeal Bandaids? Did you like them?  I finally found where I could get them, of course I bought a box of 100. My center is now Fresenius, I was told I couldn't use them , if I did they would still put the 2x2's and 3 pieces of tape over the top.  I have a problem with the tape after so long using it, it just tears the skin off my arm to remove it. After threatening to get my doctor to write an order to not use the tape on me, they finally consented to let me use the band aids put it into my unique orders and have my doctor sign them.

From what I hear we are to expect a lot more changes after the first of the year.  I understand new corp. and there will be changes, but it sure is hard on patients, especially those that that don't stand up for them selves.

[Len]

I have been using Sureseals  now for 6 years with no problems   now that I am doing home hemo for the last year I leave the bandaid on till the next run with  no affects  they are great.

[DeLana]

I'm a nurse who worked in a clinic for 5 years.  Sure Seals used to be our standard bandage used for all patients; they were freely available.  For heavy bleeders, we had something even better we could use.   

We never appreciated just how wonderful Sure Seals were - until they took them away    Of course, cost cutting, what else.  Now a regular old bandage was supposed to be sufficient (hmm... all of a sudden?)  Need I add that it wasn't nearly as good, except for a few fistulas (and those patients had always held their site, so it really didn't make much of a difference).  For many, it added much bleeding time.  Hmm... OK, so you saved a few    on bandages but have probably run up staff overtime because of it - not to even mention the unhappy patients (first shift: getting off late; second shift: getting on late.)

Anyway, my point is simply:  Sure Seals are great, if you can get them, use them.  I wish the companies would still supply them - you can always dream, right?

DeLana   

P.S.  Full disclosure:  I'm no longer working in a clinic and will be working in a hospital dialysis unit soon.  But I still wish the clinic patients would get their Sure Seals!

P.S.  When they took away our Sure Seals, our inventory clerk - who wanted to impress the charge nurse and manager - hid the remaining 10 or so boxes in a storage cabinet.  Well, one of my colleagues got the key and took all the Sure Seals out, leaving the empty boxes.  She would then give them to us when we needed them for certain patients (yes, we had to ration them).  But at least it wasn't just the charge nurse who got them!  It would have been funny to be around during inventory time

[tubes]

Never heard of sure seal bandaids.  I will have to look into that.  I bleed....only when I take my lovenox shots like I'm suppose too.  Which I really should.  The nurse pulled one of my needles last week and a clot followed.  Ewwwww.....The past week I have been taking the lovenox regularly.  So I will have to look into the sure seal bandaids.
  for getting my attention on this.    

[BigSky]

What makes sureseal different from regular bandaids?

Never seen them before so was wondering.

[Len]

Sure Seals have a blood clotting agent in them that works great  but they are very expensive I heard   (( worth maybe 1.00 a piece))

[DeLana]

They're only about 16 cents each, and I'm sure the companies used to get a nice quantity discount when they still ordered them in bulk; of course, that's about 15 cents more than a regular bandage... but again, if you add up the time that's wasted for everyone involved - prolonged bleeding time leading to staff overtime etc. - it makes absolutely no sense for the companies to have stopped buying them. 

DeLana 

[ralph]

sureseal can be purchased on the internet, I got mine from local pharmacy. I suppose any pharmacy could order them for you. Mine were about 16 cents each in a box of 100.

[Panda_9]

The more I hear about o/s dialysis the more I am glad that Im in OZ. If tape was giving us a reaction, we would never be forced to use it! I was using Gambro bandaids but they started to really irritate me. I just use folded gauze and some yukiban tape. Its cheaper than bandaids, and I dont see why everyone cant use the same.

[Black]

Sure Seals have a blood clotting agent in them that works great  but they are very expensive I heard   (( worth maybe 1.00 a piece))

A blood clotting agent ... and non-irritating -- yep, gonna' get some!

Checked price on-line -- between .16 and .25 each.  I'm going to find out what they'll cost from Wal-Mart.

[kitkatz]

If you find the sure seals at WalMArt let me know how to get them and where they are located, or do I have to special order them. Our clinic is funny about sure seals. Some people have them some people do not.  Pain in the butt is what I say it is.

[jedimaster]

I use blotters which helps me to cut short the waiting time in 50%...I leave them after. Works great for me.

[ralph]

I am confused, what is a blotter?

[Black]

If you find the sure seals at WalMArt let me know how to get them and where they are located, or do I have to special order them. Our clinic is funny about sure seals. Some people have them some people do not.  Pain in the butt is what I say it is.

The pharmacist at my local WalMart said they do not usually keep them in stock but they can order them and have them in stock either the next day, or the day after.  She said they are listed on their computer as "Sure Seal Pressure Bandages".  A box of 100 Large is $16.32.

[jedimaster]

Blotters are small strips that you put on the access hole to help stop the bleeding after treatment. Usually you would have to wait 10 minutes or more PER HOLE...with blotters I only wait 5 minutes. I buy them at the pharmacy.

[PMP]

I told my dad about SureSeal bandages and found a local pharmacy that carries them.   He was very interested in them because he has some bleeding problems the day after dialysis when he removes the bandange.  But a nurse at the dialysis center told him on Friday that they have their good side and their bad side, the bad side being that they can cause problems with the port and mean a trip to a hospital. 

They gave him three to try out, but now he's afraid.  I was thinking you just left them on for 10 minutes or so.  Can't figure out why that would cause a problem with the port, but I really don't know.  What do y'all think?

Pat

[Sara]

What is a port?  I know what it is if we're talking about an iv catheter, but you are talking about his arm, right?

[PMP]

Yeah, his arm.  He's on hemo.  Gosh, I guess I'm not sure what the nurse meant by "the port."  I guess I thought they just meant the opening, whatever kind of opening it is.

Pat

[Sara]

Does he use the button-hole technique for his sticks?

[PMP]

I haven't heard that term mentioned by anybody (him or them), so I don't think so.

Pat

[Sara]

If you don't know what it is, it's where they stick the same exact spot (same hole) over and over.  I was just thinking that maybe (this is my non-medical mind thinking here  ) that if he was using the button-hole, maybe the sureseals would mess it up, and maybe that's what the nurse meant by the port.  Of course I could be totally off-base too.   

[PMP]

Just got some more info on the problem.  They told my dad the SureSeal bandage could cause the graft to clog.  So does that make sense?? 

Pat

[kitkatz]

Not the sure seal bandages, I have never been warned of this with the bandages.  With the tip stops I was warned to take them off within a few hours.  I leave the sure seals on overnight.

[angieskidney]

wow I had never heard any problems with the sure seal / stop bleed bandages! My unit has only used it on me once so I went to the drug store and bought some for myself to use.

[Black]

I told my dad about SureSeal bandages and found a local pharmacy that carries them.   He was very interested in them because he has some bleeding problems the day after dialysis when he removes the bandage.  But a nurse at the dialysis center told him on Friday that they have their good side and their bad side, the bad side being that they can cause problems with the port and mean a trip to a hospital. 

They gave him three to try out, but now he's afraid.  I was thinking you just left them on for 10 minutes or so.  Can't figure out why that would cause a problem with the port, but I really don't know.  What do y'all think?

Pat

I may be wrong, but I suspect that they are using that as an excuse so they do not have to pay the extra the SureSeals would cost.  I did a lot of on-line research before I bought the package of 100 for my husband and not once did I see any mention of any clotting problems in any kind of access.  We have several people on this board who have experience using them -- some worked in dialysis centers, some use them; not one has mentioned any problems with access clotting using the SureSeals.

After Mike starts dialysis, I'll post what his experience is, and what the NxStage training nurse says about them.