3.2 Foam Dressing
Applicable Wounds: It is suitable for wounds with moderate to heavy exudate, or fragile wounds where the skin has lost its ability to stick.
Main Ingredients: The dressing is foamed from polymer materials, and the surface is covered with a polyurethane semipermeable membrane.
Working Principles: It has a strong ability to absorb exudate and lock liquid, and can provide a constant temperature and moist microenvironment to accelerate wound healing.
Advantages:
● Provide a moist, warm and airtight healing environment;
● Absorb medium to a large amount of exudate, reduce the impact of exudate and maceration on the wound;
● Gas and water vapor can pass through and can be used to infect wounds;
● Comfortable, easy to use, good compliance, easy to tear off, does not hurt the skin;
● Heat insulation, buffering external pressure, and prolonging the use time of wound dressings.
Shortcoming:
● Opaque, difficult to observe the wound;
● Do not use on dry wounds, black scab wounds;
3.3 Hydrogel Dressing
Applicable Wounds: For use in the granulation and epithelialization phases of uninfected or cleaned wounds.
Main Ingredients: Hydrophilic polyurethane polymers with high water content.
Working Principles: It can directly reach the affected area through the pores of the skin and play a role in pain relief, and the evaporation of water can take away heat, and it also plays the role of cold compress to reduce swelling while relieving pain.
Advantages:
● Hydrate the wound and provide a moist environment;
● Promote autolytic debridement, used for black scab debridement;
● Conducive to epithelial migration and granulation growth;
● Non-stick to wounds, relieves pain, does not damage wounds during dressing changes and fills lacunar wounds.
Shortcoming:
● No bacterial barrier;
● Easy to cause maceration of the surrounding skin;
● A second layer of dressing is required;
● Not suitable for exuding wounds.
4. Interactive Dressings
Interactive dressings alter the physiology of the wound by coming into contact with wound exudate, usually by forming a gel-like covering on the wound surface to promote healing.
4.1 Hydrocolloid Dressing
Applicable Wounds: It is mainly suitable for the prevention and treatment of various superficial wounds, chronic wound epithelialization, burns, pressure sores and phlebitis, and the treatment of plastic donor sites.
Main Ingredients: CMC+ hypoallergenic medical adhesive+semi-permeable polymer film.
Working Principles: Adopting the principle of sealing and moisturizing, after the hydrophilic particles contact with the wound exudate, a layer of wet gel is formed to continuously create a moist environment and prevent the dressing from sticking to the wound; at the same time, the semi-permeable membrane structure on the surface can allow oxygen and water vapor For exchange, but it has a barrier to external particulate foreign matter and bacteria.
Advantages:
● Keep the wound moist, create a hypoxic environment and provide a moist healing environment to accelerate wound healing;
● Supports autolytic debridement;
● Absorb a small to moderate amount of exudate, reducing the frequency of dressing changes;
● The sheet is self-adhesive, no need for a second layer of dressing, preventing the invasion of bacteria and waterproofing.
● Form a gel to protect exposed nerve endings, relieve pain and avoid secondary damage.
Shortcoming:
● Do not use on wounds with moderate to heavy exudate;
4.2 Alginate Dressing
Applicable Wounds: Suitable for open wounds, moderate/severe exudate and infected wounds.
Main Ingredients: Contains calcium alginate, the raw material is alginic acid extracted from natural seaweed plants, and then processed into calcium alginate.
Working Principles: After the mixture of alginic acid and calcium ions contacts with wound exudate, it forms a soft and smooth gel, which provides an ideal moist environment for wound healing, promotes wound healing and relieves wound pain.
Advantages:
● Strong absorbency: it can absorb wound fluid equivalent to 15-20 times its own weight;
● Gel-forming property: Absorb wound exudate, form a layer of wet gel, create a moist healing environment, protect the wound surface without sticking to the wound, and change dressings painlessly and without injury;
● Hemostasis: The released calcium ions can promote the formation of prothrombin activator and stop bleeding quickly.
Shortcoming:
● Need secondary dressing.
● It should not be used on dry or hard wounds
5. Antibacterial Dressings
Antibacterial dressings contain certain antibacterial ingredients, such as silver, honey, iodine, etc., which can have a certain local antibacterial effect.
5.1 Silver Ion Dressing
Applicable Wounds: It is suitable for heavily polluted wounds, infected wounds, diabetic foot ulcers, bedsores and other wounds.
Main Ingredients: The dressing contains or is coated with silver ions, metallic silver or silver compounds.
Working Principles: Silver ions can directly kill bacteria, control wound infection, accelerate wound healing, and remove the peculiar smell caused by bacteria. It is an ideal anti-infection dressing.
Advantages:
● Release silver ions to sterilize, and the anti-infection effect is definite;
● Provides a moist healing environment;
● Protect the wound surface and relieve wound pain;
● Promote the growth of granulation tissue;
● Absorb exudate.
Shortcoming:
● Shall not use on well-grown granulation wounds;
