If a wound is quite superficial and not draining a great deal, a semipermeable adherent dressing can be placed on the wound. The wound is first cleansed, and then the skin around the wound is cleansed with alcohol to remove the oils and sweat that would prevent the dressing from adhering. The adherent dressing is then placed on the wound, left in place until the integrity of the dressing is compromised by wound fluid escaping through the edge of the dressing, or the dressing being pulled up by daily abrasion and movement. They can generally be left in place for many days before wound drainage seeps through the edge of the dressing, breaking its integrity.
