Sure Seal didn't work

[hurlock1]

So I bought some Sure Seal XL bandages thinking that they would be the answer to all my getting off dialysis issues, The person that took me off had never seen Sure Seals, and they didn't seal sure. I held for 2 minutes (like it says in the directions) and it bled. I'm SO dissapointed!  I'm gonna' try again on Monday. The tech that took me off is really sweet, and I would never say that she didn't do it right or that she was a dumbass! Other people have seen them and they assure me that they work. Maybe they just need to be held a little longer than 2 min. Does anyone have experience with Sure Seals?

[twirl]

what are sure seals ?
I thought they were bandages placed over the cream I use to help with the pain of the needles -
I have to hold longer that two minutes and apply much pressure -
sometimes, I still bleed.....
the bandages I got to use over cream were about 3.00 each so I use Saran Wrap -- cheaper

how much do they cost and where do you get them

[willowtreewren]

We use those little "cotton" balls (Super Stoppers). My husband holds for 10 minutes and sometimes he still bleeds, too (usually only arterial, not venous).

Aleta

[Zach]

I've used Sure Seals, they're not as great as advertised.  Good for that slow oozing, but not for full bleed out.

You probably should hold your site for at least five minutes before applying the Sure Seal bandage.

 

[hurlock1]

Here is the pdf that I got my info from: http://www.dayspringmed.biz/main/Docs/SureSeal%20Brochure.pdf It's a lot of hooey as far as I can see.

[jbeany]

Yup, you have to hold for a lot longer than 2 minutes!  You have made two holes into an artery with enough pressure to shoot a spray of blood from one side of the room to the other.  I hold 10 minutes at least, then put on band-aids and pressure bandages for the drive home.

Sure seals are really best for those who have a tendency to "spring a leak" after they get up and start moving around.

[G-Ma]

same as what JB said...I hold for close to 15 min...I would rather spend the time one time rather than come back in from the car...then pressure tape over all and then home.  My sites would laugh out loud while they shoot a geyser through the roof....did that one time..to the ceiling....

[kitkatz]

Two minutes? What were you thinking?  Sit and hold for five to ten minutes, ten being optimum time. Be patient.

[willowtreewren]

Be patient.

Was that a pun Kitkatz?

My husband always holds his sites for 10 minutes. but I'm thinking these sure seals may be great for him.

Sure seals are really best for those who have a tendency to "spring a leak" after they get up and start moving around.

Jbeanny, this is a problem we deal with! One night after treatment we were sitting at the table eating dinner and my husband looks over at his arm resting on the table and there is blood making a waterfall from the table to the floor. Any more he waits for another minute or two to get up even after I've bandaged him.

Aleta

[kitkatz]

Yeah a patient patient must have patience.

[BigSky]

I think there may be a misunderstanding when it comes to the two minute part.

  The practitioner is to hold for 2 minutes until the sponge fills and expands and then the patient is suppose to hold until its done bleeding.

From the PDF.

6. The healthcare practitioner should
continue to apply steady digital
pressure to the sponge for 1-2
minutes as the sponge fills and
expands. The patient should then
continue to apply digital pressure for
an additional period of time until the
healthcare practitioner is convinced
that the bleeding is under control.
The patient is not to leave the
bandage on for over 8 hours.

[hurlock1]

I think there may be a misunderstanding when it comes to the two minute part.

  The practitioner is to hold for 2 minutes until the sponge fills and expands and then the patient is suppose to hold until its done bleeding.

From the PDF.

6. The healthcare practitioner should
continue to apply steady digital
pressure to the sponge for 1-2
minutes as the sponge fills and
expands. The patient should then
continue to apply digital pressure for
an additional period of time until the
healthcare practitioner is convinced
that the bleeding is under control.
The patient is not to leave the
bandage on for over 8 hours.

That's what it says! I just saw 2 min and ran with it! I am the impatient patient. I guess that I will try again on Mon. and hold for a little longer than 2 min. I just saw myself holding for two minutes, and gettin' the he__ outa' there. Oh well. . . It just goes t' show ya'; It's always sumpthin'

[Dan.Larrabee]

I used them while I was in the center, but the center was using them wrong (go figure). They would bend one side over and stick it to itself. They said that was so it would not stick to the needle as they pull it out. They also told me that it had a clotting agent in it to help stop the bleeding.

Again, the center was wrong on both accounts. I called a SureSeal rep after I left the center and started doing home hemo. They told me it did not have a clotting agent and they way it work was this. You have to have a “Seal” all the way around the cellulose pad. As the pad expands it applies pressure on its own. They also said “yes, you need to apply pressure”. They said, it will help sure the seal (ha ha) when and if you spring a leak from your own clotting due to pressure from standing, lifting and moving. I found that it does help stop the bleeding a little faster than a gauze pad and I know its clotted when I check and the pad by looking at it through the band-aid and is not all the way red. Also, the red does not spread to more pad when I stop holding it. I then fold a 2x2 in 1/4’s, put it on the SureSeal and wrap with Coban (I hate tape) and I am good to go. By the way, I buy Coban on the internet for about a $1 a 5’ roll. I get it in a case for $45 and I am set for months (did I say I hate tape).

Good luck hurlock1

[Zach]

They also told me that it had a clotting agent in it to help stop the bleeding.

That was the big myth going around for many years.
I'm not 'sure' how it started, but the story went that the sponge was made of gelfoam.

What is gelfoam?  Very expensive stuff, but it truly clots the sites.
http://www.rxmed.com/b.main/b2.pharmaceutical/b2.1.monographs/CPS-%20Monographs/CPS-%20(General%20Monographs-%20G)/GELFOAM.html

[twirl]

Yeah a patient patient must have patience.

Kitkatz----- this is in the wrong section ---- this should be in the quotes section

quote by Kitkatz

[paddbear0000]

I use Sure Seal at my clinic and I love it! I clot within 5 minutes and without any added gauze, tape or band-aids on top of it. Of course, after reading the product instructions, then seeing how the techs and nurses at my clinic did it, I had to reeducate them on how to apply them!

[Krisna]

I hold for 10 minutes on venous and 15 on arterial and have to hold separately because I have short fingers and can't reach both at the same time.  I refuse to use straps or clamps.  I only use Sure Seals for oozing.  You have to be patient! 

And if you think 10 or 15 minutes is a long time, it's not!  When they first started using my new fistula it was taking over an hour to clot enough for a Sure Seal!  A couple times it took an hour and a half to clot off enough for a Sure Seal!  The fistula had a narrow spot causing back pressure.  I had it fixed right away and it cut my time way down!  But I'd rather wait for it to stop completely than have it bust open on the way home or something but then I drive myself most days.

[jbeany]

They also told me that it had a clotting agent in it to help stop the bleeding.

That was the big myth going around for many years.
I'm not 'sure' how it started, but the story went that the sponge was made of gelfoam.

What is gelfoam?  Very expensive stuff, but it truly clots the sites.
http://www.rxmed.com/b.main/b2.pharmaceutical/b2.1.monographs/CPS-%20Monographs/CPS-%20(General%20Monographs-%20G)/GELFOAM.html

Gelfoam rocks.  My new center uses a chunk on mine whenever I take longer than 15 minutes to clot.