Wound dressings

Update: 2024-07-12

Wound dressings are an important part of surgical site care. Ideally a bandage should be placed over the wound while the sterile field is still in place. The patient is instructed to leave the dressing undisturbed for at least 48 hours, which allows a degree of epithelialization to take place and seals the wound edges from bacterial contamination.

Wound dressings
To aid wound healing, a dressing is applied to protect the wound from complications resulting from contamination or disturbance. A variety of wound dressings are used to best suit different types of wounds. Wound dressings help to stop bleeding, activate clotting, and remove excess exudates and general wound debridement . An ideal wound dressing should meet certain requirements such as:
(1)maintaining moisture around the wound,
(2)gas permeability,
(3)removing excess exudates,
(4)protection against infections
(5)render mechanical protection
(6)easy to change or remove,
(7)biocompatible, biodegradable, and nontoxic,
(8)low cost

Wound dressings may be broadly classified into traditional and modern wound dressings.

Traditional wound dressing
Traditional wound dressings were made from gauze, lint, plasters, bandages (natural or synthetic), or cotton wool. Gauze dressings were produced from woven and non-woven cotton, rayon, and polyester fibers. Bandages were made from cotton wool, cellulose, or polyamide materials. Some commercial wound dressings of this type are Xeroform™, Bactigras, Jelonet, and Paratulle. Traditional dressings are typically used for treating clean and dry wounds, and one of the major disadvantages of these traditional dressings is failure to maintain the moist environment required for wound healing

Modern wound dressings
Over recent years, modern wound dressings have undergone significant advancements and now come in various types, each specifically designed to address particular wound types and healing requirements. Hydrocolloid dressings are ideal for wounds with moderate to heavy exudate due to their high absorbency. Foam dressings, on the other hand, are absorbent and created for wounds with heavy exudate. Alginate dressings, made from seaweed, are highly absorbent and primarily used for wounds with heavy exudate. Hydrogel dressings promote a moist wound environment and are recommended for wounds with minimal to moderate exudate. Transparent film dressings act as a barrier against moisture and bacteria and are frequently utilized for superficial wounds or as a secondary dressing to secure other dressing types in place. Antimicrobial dressings contain agents that can prevent wound infections, whereas collagen dressings encourage new tissue growth and facilitate the healing of chronic wounds

 

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