Hydrocolloid dressing versus tulle gauze in the treatment of abrasions in cyclists.

Abrasions in cyclists were either treated with an occlusive hydrocolloid dressing or with tulle gauze. The main object of the study was to investigate practical questions, e.g: Could the cyclists go on racing without their injuries impeding their progress? Medical aspects evaluated in the study were: the healing time and the infection rate of the wounds. Twenty-three racing cyclists with 38 abrasions were treated with a hydrocolloid dressing and 41 abrasions in 24 cyclists with tulle gauze. The results of the study show that the occlusive dressing produces a shorter healing time (5.6 days) than the tulle gauze (8.9 days), with smaller risks of infection (0% and 10%, respectively) and a longer wearing period per dressing. The hydrocolloid dressing also gives more pain relief than the tulle gauze (91% no pain during racing with the hydrocolloid dressing, 30% with the tulle gauze) and a higher overall comfort (very comfortable to comfortable versus uncomfortable to moderately uncomfortable, respectively).