If you’ve ever suffered a significant injury, you know that the healing process can be long and painful.
Wound types vary widely depending on location and injury, meaning there isn’t one specific treatment for a wound. The care method varies greatly depending on its depth and placement.
For over 38 years, Strouse has helped clients choose the right materials and optimize designs for custom wound dressings to enhance patient health and comfort.
This guide will help you understand what types of dressing and material you need based on how different wound dressings are used.
What is a Wound Dressing?
A wound dressing is a type of bandage that covers a wound by sticking to the surrounding skin using wound dressing tape or glue. They help prevent infection, encourage healing, and reduce pain.
Wound dressings can be gel (hydrogel), foam, gauze, bandage, or any other type of patch.
WHY DOES THE TYPE OF WOUND DRESSING MATTER?
Different types of wound dressings are helpful for different kinds of wounds. Most wound dressings are made of compounds like polymers, elastomers, and natural products, but alternative dressings include wet-to-dry bandages, alginates, hydrogels, and film dressings. These dressings are often used post-surgery or to treat severe injuries like burns.
Different Types of Wound Dressings
There are many types of wound dressings on the market today, and understanding their basic function will allow you to differentiate between them. In this section, you’ll compare multiple wound dressings and how they heal certain types of injuries.
1. GAUZE
Gauze is an easy-to-find, relatively inexpensive one-use material that can absorb wound exudate.
USES:
- Attach to other wounds for support and fill wound cavities
- Used between burn layers as short-term fixes by ambulance medics on the field
- Sit on lacerations to prevent disease or itching. However, wearing gauze bandages
- An excellent alternative to hypoallergenic plasters that can cause skin sensitivity
Gauze doesn’t stick to the skin or adhere well to wounds, so it cannot hold fluids or bacteria in the damage and can also fall off at any time. Because it doesn’t form a tight seal, long-term use isn’t recommended.
2. HYDROCOLLOID BANDAGES
Certain types of wound bandages serve similar purposes to wound dressings.
Hydrocolloid bandages are transparent, sticky bandages placed over wounds with a layered effect. When applied to wounds, they absorb fluid matter while maintaining moisture levels. This lets tissue below the surface promote healing quicker by reducing redness and inflammation.
Hydrocolloid dressings, made of gelatinous material, are very useful in helping all kinds of wounds heal. When applied on top of other dressings, they form a seal to protect the injury from external factors.
USES:
- Prevent fluids from leaking and draw them out of the wound area
- This process reduces pain, minimizes swelling, and encourages healing without interference
- Create a moist environment for wound healing
- Flexible material used to treat chronic wounds
Hydrocolloid bandages aren’t helpful for deep or infected wounds because they don’t absorb blood or bacterial infection. They are also challenging to keep in place and can come loose.
3. HYDROGEL WOUND DRESSINGS
Hydrogel helps reduce skin irritation and provides a cooling sensation for burns or tender skin. It can withstand frequent changes without losing effectiveness or irritating sensitive skin. Gel bandages have a high water content and improve blood flow to the deepest layers of the skin.
USES:
- Medics most often use hydrogel bandages in organ transplants and skin grafts
- Hydrogel burn bandages act as a dressing that seals shut wounds without causing pain or discomfort
- Seals wounds to slow bleeding and prevent infection from getting into deep tissues
Hydrogel wound dressings use thick, one-use, and unsterilized bandages. Because their thickness can be uncomfortable for the patient, they require a conscientious application.
4. MOISTURE-RETENTIVE BANDAGES
Moisture-retentive bandages are transparent dressings made from materials like cotton wool. Moisture-retentive bandages absorb drainage, preventing deeper infection and reducing pain via the protective layer over the healing wound.
USES:
- Absorb blood and exudate (drainage) from wounds
- Promotes new living tissue growth and reduces the risk of infection
- Slow the rate at which wounds discharge fluid
It’s common for moisture-retentive bandages to fall off, causing the patient both external and internal discomfort. They also prevent wounds from breathing when the injury needs to cleanse itself of bacteria or fluid.
5. OXYGEN-ABSORBING BANDAGES
Oxygen-absorbing bandages use materials like blue cellulose to manage the amount of oxygen a wound absorbs. These dressings encourage healthy cell growth and regeneration.
USES:
- Increase oxygen levels in a wound which promotes faster growth and regeneration of cells in the area
- Treat injuries that have already developed necrotic tissue
- Seal necrotic wounds and prevent bacteria from spreading into deeper layers of tissue
Oxygen-absorbing bandages cannot remove liquid from wounds. They can be harmful if applied with several exudates and unsuitable for deep or infected wounds.
6. STERILE GAUZE BANDAGES
Sterile gauze bandages allow wounds to breathe, so oxygen can still reach the damaged spot even when it’s covered up. They are made of cotton or synthetic material like rayon, and come in various sizes and shapes, making them very easy to apply to complex wounds or smaller areas.
USES:
- Sterile gauze bandages are the most popular type of application in hospital settings
- Hold wounds together when faster healing is needed
Sterile gauze bandages are ineffective at controlling bleeding or infection because they do not absorb blood or fluids well and don’t create a strong seal over wounds. They might even come loose while healing and need to be reapplied.
7. TRANSPARENT FILM DRESSINGS
Transparent film dressing tape, or transparent film bandages, are made from PVC materials. They are cost-effective and allow wounds to breathe and heal rapidly.
USES:
- This type of bandage sits over a wound to seal it shut without causing much discomfort
- The tight seal allows the natural healing process to occur underneath the dressing.
- Injuries on larger body sections
- Transparent film bandages come with internal adhesive tapes for more straightforward application. The inner adhesive tapes make them great for injuries on larger body sections.
Transparent film bandages do NOT absorb blood or exudate well. Thus, if used on deep or infected wounds, healing may take longer, or infection may spread.
8. TISSUE ADHESIVE BANDAGES
Tissue adhesive bandages are transparent and made from cyanoacrylate materials. These materials form chemical bonds with the tissues they encounter. The bandages enable a tight seal, significantly reduce pain levels, and promote faster new tissue growth in cut-open areas.
USES:
- Tissue adhesive bandages seal up minor cuts, allowing the skin to heal faster by preventing infection from entering the wound
- Bond skin together almost immediately
- Used to treat patients with minor injuries in the emergency room.
Tissue adhesive bandages don’t allow wounds to heal naturally because they don’t create an environment for natural healing. Also, they form blisters when applied over a wound. These blisters come loose with ease, so the dressing needs regular application.
9. FOAM DRESSINGS
Wound dressing foam is a safe alternative to gauze. It is easy to use, has excellent sealing properties, and adheres well to the surrounding skin. It promotes granulation (new tissue/blood vessels) and the wound bed’s re-epithelialization (new skin).
USES:
- Most useful during the initial wound healing phases.
- Helps stem bacterial growth in the damaged area and covers the edge of the injury
- Reduces the chance of inflammation and infection
- Its consistency seeps well into the complex shapes of each laceration
- Reduces both the growth of bacteria and the chances of biofilm forming
Wound dressing foam does not adhere well to dry wound surfaces. It also contains latex, which could trigger an allergic reaction. From polyurethane foams to others, there are plenty of double sided foam options available for wound sites.
Choosing the Right Wound Care Dressing
There are countless brands, styles, and shapes of bandages on the market today, making it hard to determine the best option. However, while the variety may seem intimidating initially, it will ultimately allow you to find the best wound dressing application for your needs.
Of course, you may not always be able to find the exact type, shape, or formulation of wound dressing on the market. If you’re developing a custom wound dressing, adhesive tape converters can help you bring your product from the initial idea to the production process.
Dressings are designed to be safe and effective. Start by reaching out to Strouse with your idea so we can help you plan your manufacturing process based on how the material is intended to function to achieve your goals.
Producing a custom product in a clean environment presents its own set of challenges and quality standards. Talk to your converter to discuss your goals, design, and quality needs.
Lastly, you can learn more about developing and finding the right medical adhesives in our Learning Center.
Originally published: October 21, 2021
