The Role Of Dressings

Dressings have three functions:

Keeping the wound and it's surroundings clean

This can often require some type of barrier against infection as well as stopping the wound from getting dirty. In these functions, virtually all dressings are very similar.

Protecting the wound

The need for protection is not just from knocks and scrapes. It can also be from the person with the wound - healing wounds can often itch, and scratching definitely does not help. It may also involve protecting the wound from damage during dressing changes and other procedures.

Maintaining the best healing environment

Healing wounds need to be kept moist. So, for weepy wounds maintaining the best environment means using a dressing that can get rid of the excess fluid; for dry ones the dressing needs to hold in what moisture there is.