What should you do when bruised or wounded? The first thing to come to your mind will be to get wound dressings.
There are different types of dressings to cover your wound depending on its severity.
Essentially it is a bandage that will stick to the skin using tape and prevent the wound from worsening.
It also protects your skin and body from infections.
This article discusses the different types of wound dressings and what are its uses. Keep reading below to know more!
What are Wound Dressings?
A wound dressing is a bandage for wound care.
It comes in direct contact with the skin and the wounds to ensure they heal quickly without getting infected.
If the wounds are left as is, there will be less infection control and more illness and infection spread.
This bandage sticks to your skin with the help of a wound dressing tape.
Moreover, it contains compounds such as natural products, polymers or elastomers.
The main aim of all the dressings is basically to reduce and control the spread of infection while healing the wound.
Besides that, they help in stopping bleeding by covering the wound and start clotting which will close it.
It also helps in wound debridement by cleaning and removing the hyperkeratotic, nonviable tissue and infected material from the dressings.
This includes the necrotic and dead tissue, callus and thickened cells, residual materials and foreign debris.
The bandages also absorb excess fluid, blood or plasma that is coming out of the wound.
There are several types of wound dressings such as:
- Cloth
- Gauze
- Foam dressings
- Hydrogel dressings
- Alginates
- Collagen
- Transparent film
- Gel bandages
- Moisture retentive bandages
They not only come in handy for minor wounds but also to treat severe injuries and in health care settings such as after surgery or while addressing burns.
The material of the bandages matters too for which medical fabrics and nonwoven materials basically medical nonwoven have shown more benefits in healthcare.
Let’s know more below!
Medical Nonwoven Material
The nonwovens are an efficient material for dressings.
This material can adapt easily to the specifications for which the dressing is required.
Moreover, it also works better than linen to reduce the airborne contaminants that can penetrate the wound and infect it.
Thus, the barrier this material provides is effective against the bacteria.
These are suited for direct contact with the skin as they work well in preventing infections and healing the wound.
Also they are useful in wrapping and securing the dressings in place.
The nonwoven material has adaptable characteristics that are specialized for wound care products.
This includes, plasters for making cast, wadding, gauze, bandages, absorbent pads, medical tapes and wraps for cast making.
Hence, health professionals assess the injury before deciding what kind of material is best suited for it.
They will evaluate how the wound occurred and find out the nature of the injury.
This way they can figure out how to treat the wound properly.
For treating it, there are different types of dressing available, let’s know more on them below.
Types of Wound Dressings
Cloth and Gauze
Cloth dressings are probably the most common dressings available.
You may have used one before and probably there is one present in your first aid kit.
Remember that roll of cloth bandages? Or it could also be in the form of pre-cut packaged dressings.
It protects open wounds from injuries, the small patches of broken skin and a scraped knee.
Whether you have a cute, or an injury in a sensitive and delicate area, the health practitioner will probably use the cloth dressing as the first layer of protection.
For others, it can also serve as the second layer of protection.
Since cloth naturally conforms to the skin, these bandages are a good option for wounds and injuries that are hard to dress. These can easily alter and cut to adjust and fit to the wound.
Among cloth bandages, gauze bandages exist with rayon or nylon material.
They are rather called non-weave bandages.
Unlike cloth, they do not conform to the skin but attach to the other wounds or are packed in the wound cavity.
The gauze can fall off anytime because it does not stick well to the wound.
It will not hold the bacteria and fluid longer, thus medics may use it to temporarily address the wound, at best as a short-term fix.
Foam
These soft and absorbent dressings help to retain moisture and also protect the wound while it heals.
Thanks to the moisture balance, this dressing is a good option for wounds that release a foul smell.
Its absorbent properties result in quicker healing as the dressing absorbs the fluids.
Moreover, its permeability allows water vapor to enter but not bacteria.
This moisture promotes healing and prevents infection.
You can find these in adhesive and non-adhesive options in a variety of sizes and shapes.
Hydrogel, Hydrocolloid and Alginates
Hydrogel
Dry wounds do not heal easily.
Hydrogel is a good option to add moisture to your wound so that the dry dead cells break down and aid the wound to heal faster.
The dead tissue can cause pain but applying the hydrogel dressings increases comfort.
Therefore, it reduces the pain and an extra cooling gel may further enhance comfort.
The wounds that release less or no fluid usually need these dressings.
It is also effective for wounds that are necrotic and painful as well as for second degrees burns and infected wounds.
Hydrocolloid
These are sticky, non-breathable, transparent and self-adhering bandages, that go over wounds to give a layered effect.
Hydrocolloid is a long-lasting dressing that is also easy to apply due to its self-adhesive properties.
They make moist conditions in the bandage and provide comfort due to the flexible material.
Moreover, it makes a seal over the injury in order to provide protection against bacteria.
The bandage seals the wound and holds it in place preventing infection and allowing healing and cleaning.
It further helps in drawing the fluids out of the wound area thereby reducing pain.
These bandages come in handy while treating burns, necrotic wounds, on pressure or venous ulcers, draining wounds and under compression wraps.
Alginates
These extremely absorbent dressings are useful for wounds that have extra drainage.
Moreover, they have a gel-like substance that facilitates healing.
They are common in use for deep and extreme wounds because of their efficient absorbency which is about 20 times more than their weight.
This bandage will be for patients suffering from burns, high state pressure ulcers, venous ulcers and packing wounds.
Unlike hydrogel, alginate should not be used on dry wounds. In fact, use it in wounds with lots of liquid drainages.
Other Types of Wound Dressings
Collagen
They are for chronic wounds that have slow healing.
Collagen dressings are on injuries that cover a large area, surgical wounds, pressure sores, burns, transplant sites and ulcers.
They act as a second skin to stimulate healing and allow the growth of new cells.
This dressing also removes dead tissue, tightens the edges of the wound and promotes new blood vessel formation.
Thus, this is a good alternative to the traditional bandage.
Transparent Film
The transparency allows the doctor to closely and constantly monitor a wound.
It uses a clear film and attaches with adhesive tapes.
Since the doctor will need to check it, it makes sense to use it in larger wounds.
Therefore, they will be on IV sites, burns, surgical incision sites and burns.
Plus, they also keep the wound clean and promote healing.
The transparency of the film makes it thin, hence, more comfortable.
Gel
Gel bandages are either made from hydrogel, wax or air bubbles.
These have a high water content where the gel makes contact with the skin.
This improves the blood flow to the deepest skin layers and.
Moisture-retentive
It retains moisture to form a protective layer over the wound and prevent deeper infection.
They are also oxygen-absorbing bandages.
Due to the increased oxygen levels, they will promote the growth of cells crucial for healing.
Plus, they will close the wound.
However, these bandages cannot remove liquid from the injuries.
Hence, they are not the best option for deep and infected wounds.
Tissue adhesive
It promotes quick growth of the new tissues in the areas where the wound was cut open.
Moreover, it tightly seals the wounds when covering them.
It also significantly reduces pain while the healing happens.
Summing Up
There are several kinds of wound dressings present in the market.
You should have one present in your first aid kit.
These may usually be cloth bandages or gauze.
However, you should also equip yourself with other dressings if your doctor recommends them.
Mostly, doctors and nurses themselves may apply the other types of dressings.
Therefore, if you have a serious injury, leave that to the doctors to address.
If your run a hospital or clinic and are looking for wound dressing supplies, refer to this article to get the type you will need.
You can also check out the rest of the medical supplies at Engiomed here.
