Effect of self‐adhesive, silicone‐coated polyamide net dressing on irradiated human skin

There is no established biological or pharmacological procedure to prevent acute skin reactions during irradiation. Mechanical protection of irradiated skin during treatment is therefore essential. Some silicone‐coated materials developed for skin transplants may be beneficial to irradiated patients in this respect. In a prospective study, the tolerance of silicone‐coated polyamide net was tested in 21 patients receiving radiotherapy (RT) due to malignant disease. In 7 patients the portal skin was intact and in 14 patients the portal included an epitheliolysis and a skin ulcer. The ability of silicone‐coated net strips to adhere to irradiated skin and the local skin irritation under the adherent net were evaluated. Patient tolerance of dressing strips was good. There were no reactions to the adherent dressing net by non‐irradiated skin. No additional skin irritation due to the tested material was observed in the irradiated region. The ulcers covered by silicone‐coated dressings reepithelialized quickly during RT. There was no injury to new epithelium during changes of dressing. Our results demonstrate that silicone‐coated polyamide net dressings could be used for skin protection during irradiation.