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Choosing the right dressing is an important step in wound management. It can promote wound healing, prevent infection and reduce scarring. But when you search for wound dressings on Google or Amazon, you get hundreds of results. How should you choose? This article will help you to quickly understand the types of dressings and their indications.

Generally, dressings are classified into 11 types, including alginate dressings, antimicrobial dressings, foam dressings, transparent film dressings, hydrocolloid dressings, gel fibre dressings, hydrogel dressings, hydropolymer dressings, non-adhesive dressings, polymer film dressings and superabsorbent dressings. We will introduce these types one by one.

Alginate dressing is a highly absorbent wound dressing whose main component is alginate derived from seaweed. It is mainly used for wounds with moderate to severe exudation and voids, such as pressure ulcers, decubitus ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, venous/arterial ulcers of the lower limbs, skin burns and refractory burns, and post-operative wounds with bleeding and exudation from anal fistulae. It should be noted that it is not suitable for dry wounds.

Antimicrobial dressings are a general term for a variety of dressings that prevent or treat wound infection by adding antimicrobial agents. Common antimicrobial agents include silver, iodine and honey. These dressings are mainly used for wounds that are infected or at risk of infection. It is important to note that these dressings have a significant effect on controlling wound odour.

Compared to the above two types, foam dressing is a more common and widely used dressing. It is suitable for low to high exuding wounds, superficial or full-thickness wounds, acute and chronic wounds, etc. Most minor everyday wounds can be treated with foam dressings. We can buy them on Amazon or at our local pharmacy at a relatively low price.

The main feature of transparent film dressings is that they are transparent and it is easy to observe the condition of the wound. They are mainly used to secure intravenous catheters, PICC lines and other devices to the skin. In the past, they were used more during hospitalisation, so they are rarely used in everyday life.

Hydrocolloid dressings are made by mixing polymerised hydrogels with synthetic rubber. Carboxymethylcellulose is the most common type of gel. It can swell up to 12 times after absorbing exudate, demonstrating its strong absorbency. It is therefore mainly used for wounds with low to moderate exudate, such as superficial burns, partial-thickness burns, leg ulcers and pressure ulcers. The high air-tightness and painless removal of hydrocolloid dressings make them ideal for children. In addition, the currently popular star face acne patch is also a type of hydrocolloid dressing.

As far as the appearance of the dressing is concerned, in addition to the solid piece that we are familiar with, there are also sheets made up of strands like bird's nests. This type of dressing seemed to solve the problem that conventional sheet dressings have poor absorption and recovery effects on some non-flat wounds with large amounts of exudate. The gel fibre dressing is one of these. It is particularly suitable for moderate to heavily exuding wounds. It is often used in the clinical setting of the hospital and is rarely used in the community.

Hydrogel dressings can be thought of as an upgraded version of hydrocolloid dressings. Its main characteristic is that it has a high water content, which can be as high as 70%. It can not only absorb wound exudate, but also actively release moisture to dry and crust wounds. It is therefore very suitable for use on dry and escharred wounds or wounds in need of hydration, which is why it is usually more expensive than hydrocolloid dressings.

Water polymer dressing is a high-end dressing. At present, only major international brands such as 3M have such products, and they are never used in everyday life.

Adhesive dressings are the most common type of bandages in our daily lives. They can be bought on Amazon at a very low price. They are used for minor drainage wounds and can be used for various small wounds in everyday life.

Polymer film dressings are thin and flexible polymer films. As the film is non-absorbent, it is not suitable for wounds with excessive exudate. It is mainly used for superficial wounds such as minor burns, lacerations, abrasions, etc. and is also used to cover venous access sites and sutures after surgery.

Superabsorbent dressing is an advanced wound dressing. As the name suggests, it has a super strong ability to absorb exudate. It is suitable for moderate to heavily exuding wounds and traumatic injuries. It is commonly used in dressing rooms, wound rooms and nursing clinics.

From the above introduction we can see that most dressings are used in hospital clinics and only non-adhesive dressings and foam dressings are more commonly used in everyday life. With a simple understanding, the next time you are faced with many choices, you can buy the one that best suits your needs to help your wound heal.