Types Of Dressing

Dressings are produced to fulfill specific requirements. No one type of dressing can meet all needs.

• Wet wounds require dressings that can absorb a lot of fluid. By keeping the fluid away from the skin they stop the wound and surrounding skin from becoming waterlogged, and avoid having to change the dressing too often.
• Dry wounds need a dressing that will retain any moisture that is present, to maintain good conditions for healing.

Dressings can also either be designed to stay in place by themselves, with a sticky border, or require holding in place with adhesive tape or a bandage.

Some wounds can be hard to dress and need special dressings because of where they are. For example:

• Dressings for wounds on a joint must allow for movement
• Wounds at the bottom of the back must allow for the higher infection risk from natural bowel bacteria.

Often these hard-to-dress wounds can be treated with specially designed dressings, such as those specially shaped to apply to the heel, or at the base of the spine.