| Product Name: | K-PLUS |
| Classification Name: | Bandage Light Compression (Type 3a)g |
| Manufacturer: | Parema Ltd |
THIS DATACARD ENTRY IS OUT OF DATE. It will remain on dressings.org for historical purposes whilst it is reviewed. An updated entry is to be expected within 2 months.
K-Plus consists of a white knitted fabric containing 86% viscose, 6% nylon and 8% elastomeric yarn. A green line runs along its length to facilitate application. The bandage is extensible, highly elastic and very conformable in use. K-Plus may be washed if required; and if allowed to dry naturally, loosely folded, it will retain much of its original elasticity.
K-Plus may be used to apply and maintain light compression for the prevention and management of mild oedema. As with many other bandages, the pressures that can be achieved and maintained by K-Plus are limited, but on an average-sized calf, two layers applied in a standard fashion should be able to produce and sustain levels of pressure of the order of 12-15 mmHg; in comparison, products made entirely from cotton would be unlikely to achieve values in excess of 8-10 mmHg under similar conditions. If levels of pressure higher than this are required, or large oedematous legs are to be bandaged, a more powerful product should be selected. Because K-Plus has the ability to 'follow in', it may be used to maintain compression on limbs as they decrease in circumference as a result of the application of surface pressure.
K-Plus should be used with caution on patients who have marked ischaemia or impaired arterial blood supply.
When applied to a leg, for example, the bandage should be held with the bulk roll facing upwards. Working from the inner aspect, a single turn should be made over the top of the foot around the base of the toes to secure the bandage, and a second turn taken up to the base of the heel. After making a figure-of-eight around the ankle, the bandage should be applied up the leg, with each turn overlapping the previous one by 50%, using the line in the centre of the bandage as a guide.
In critical applications where the control of sub-bandage pressure is important, K-Plus should be re-applied or replaced as frequently as practicable. In normal situations, the bandage may be left in place for number of days. Some loss of pressure will undoubtedly occur, but this will be less than for a more traditionally made product.
K-Crepe should never be applied at full stretch, and care must be taken to ensure that it is not applied so tightly as to restrict blood flow. The operator should also ensure that a pressure gradient exists beneath the bandage, with the highest levels of pressure at the ankle.
K-Crepe is presented individually shrink-wrapped.
| Revision Author | Dr S. Thomas |
| Revision No | 1.1 |
| Revision date | 2007/08/22 |
This datacard has been prepared from data provided by the manufacturer and/or from published literature.