Hydrocolloid Dressings: When to Use Them, When Not To, and How Long They Stay On

The hydrocolloid dressing finally comes off, and there's a sticky gel on the wound and a smell you weren't expecting.

This guide covers which wounds a hydrocolloid suits, which it doesn't, how long it stays on, and which changes need a health professional. It's drawn from what ConvaTec publishes for DuoDERM Extra Thin and Coloplast for Comfeel Plus Transparent, the two ranges we carry. Other brands have their own instructions, so read the pack in your hand.

What is a hydrocolloid dressing used for?

A hydrocolloid dressing is a self-adhesive dressing that absorbs wound fluid and turns it into a soft gel, keeping the wound moist and covered. ConvaTec indicates DuoDERM Extra Thin for lightly exuding wounds, including minor burns, abrasions, post-operative wounds and stage 1 to 2 pressure ulcers. Coloplast lists Comfeel Plus Transparent for non to low exuding wounds, including pressure ulcers.

Here's how it works. ConvaTec's Australian product sheet describes DuoDERM Extra Thin as a hydrocolloid matrix of sodium carboxymethylcellulose, gelatin, pectin and adhesive polymers, with a waterproof outer polyurethane film.

The moisture is the point. The Australian Standards for Wound Prevention and Management (fourth edition, 2023, published with Wounds Australia) list promoting an optimal wound moisture balance, and protecting the wound bed from friction and shear, among the strategies that prepare a wound to heal.

Where a hydrocolloid dressing fits

Both manufacturers position their hydrocolloids at the low end of the fluid scale. ConvaTec's Australian product page indicates DuoDERM Extra Thin for lightly exuding wounds, and its product sheet lists minor burns, abrasions, lacerations and post-operative wounds, plus stage 1 to 2 pressure ulcers and lightly exuding leg ulcers. Coloplast's Australian product page lists Comfeel Plus Transparent for non to low exuding chronic and acute wounds, such as leg ulcers and pressure ulcers, superficial burns, superficial partial-thickness burns, donor sites, postoperative wounds and skin abrasions.

ConvaTec's Australian product sheet says DuoDERM Extra Thin is easy to mould and can be cut to shape for awkward areas, and is designed to reduce the risk of further skin breakdown from friction by preventing contact with clothes and bedlinen. Coloplast says the transparent Comfeel dressing lets you inspect the wound without removing it, and carries a mapping grid for wound monitoring. You can see both on our DuoDERM Extra Thin and Comfeel Plus Transparent pages.

When not to use a hydrocolloid dressing

The plainest limit is fluid. Both makers write their indications around light, or no to low, exudate, so a wetter wound sits outside what the instructions cover.

Infection needs a careful read. A hydrocolloid on an infected wound is a call for the health professional treating the infection, not one to make alone at home.

For DuoDERM Extra Thin, ConvaTec's Australian product sheet says to refer to the pack insert for full instructions before use. Coloplast asks you to read the label and instructions for use for contraindications, warnings and precautions, and to use Comfeel under the supervision of a healthcare professional.

ConvaTec's Australian product page also links to a US DuoDERM Extra Thin instructions leaflet dated April 1991. Under use on dermal ulcers, it warns that deeper tissue damage may already have occurred under an apparent superficial dermal ulcer, and that with any occlusive dressing, particularly where necrotic material is present, the wound may increase in size and depth during the initial phase of management. If a wound looks deeper than you first thought, have it assessed.

How long to leave a hydrocolloid dressing on

ConvaTec's 1991 instructions leaflet says: "Leave the dressing in place (not more than 7 days) unless it is uncomfortable, leaking, or there are clinical signs of infection." ConvaTec's Australian product sheet gives no wear time. Coloplast says Comfeel Plus Transparent may be left in place for up to seven days depending on the amount of exudate, dressing conditions and type of wound. Seven days is a ceiling, not a target.

On those instructions, change the dressing when:

• it's leaking
• it's uncomfortable
• there are signs of infection (see below)
• it has reached the maximum wear time on the pack

Application affects how well it stays on. ConvaTec's Australian product sheet says to cleanse the wound with saline, dry the surrounding skin, and choose a dressing that extends 3cm beyond the wound.

Take it off slowly. ConvaTec's Australian product sheet says: "To remove, press down gently on the skin and carefully lift the corner of the dressing stretching each edge until free."

Is the gel and smell normal?

It can be. ConvaTec's 1991 instructions leaflet says wounds, particularly large or necrotic ones, are often accompanied by a disagreeable odour, that this is not necessarily indicative of infection, and that the odour should disappear when the wound is cleansed.

Signs of infection that need a health professional

The same 1991 leaflet gives examples of clinical infection signs, such as an uncharacteristic odour or change in the colour of the exudate, fever, or cellulitis, meaning tenderness and erythema (redness) in the area of the wound. If clinical signs of infection are present, it says appropriate medical treatment should be started, and that the dressing may be continued during treatment at the clinician's discretion. Don't wait out the seven days.

Foam and hydrofiber dressings

Our guide to foam vs hydrofiber dressings covers how the two compare, and wound dressing basics is the place to start if dressings are new to you.

Hydrocolloid dressing for blisters and spots

Neither ConvaTec's indications for DuoDERM Extra Thin nor Coloplast's for Comfeel Plus Transparent name blisters or pimples, so we don't present either as made for them.

A consumer patch carries its own instructions, and those are the ones to follow. If a blister shows any of the infection signs above, treat it as a wound and have it looked at.

Where to buy hydrocolloid dressings

Our hydrocolloid dressings collection carries DuoDERM Extra Thin, DuoDERM CGF and Comfeel Plus in several sizes. For a particular size, or a match for a product you already use, call the team in Bendigo first. Aged care and clinic buyers ordering in volume can call 03 5443 2239 or email info@firstaiddistributions.com.au.

For longer-term wounds, see dressings for chronic wounds and dressing selection in aged care. The wider wound care range and wound dressings collections sit alongside our guide to wound dressings in Australia.

This article is general information. If you're worried about a wound, speak to your GP, nurse or pharmacist.

Related articles

• Foam vs hydrofiber dressings: how two absorbent dressing classes compare
• Wound dressing basics: a starting point for anyone new to dressings
• Dressings for chronic wounds: options for wounds that are slow to heal