Introduction and background

Authors: Christian Kaare Paaskesen, Med. Stud., Hasan Gökcer Tekin, MD

Throughout this chapter, some key words will be color-coded to be paired with a developed pocket card. (you can download the pocket-card in the bottom of this page)(Still in development, estimated ready summer 2021)

Definition

A piece of material used to cover, compress and/or protect a wound while promoting healing.

Background

Dry and moist wound care was accepted on equal terms, until Winter and Hintman in the 1960s showed that wounds should be kept moist for optimal healing conditions. Intensive research and development have since resulted in a vast variety of modern wound dressings to provide a moist environment for wound healing.

Theory

Wound dressings may have multiple functionalities:

• Autolytic or mechanical debridement
• Antiseptic abilities and thereby cleansing of bacterial colonization
• Absorbing exudates to avoid maceration of surrounding skin
• Provide moisture if the wound bed is dry
• Retain a moist environment in a balanced manner
• Protection from external trauma/contamination

When choosing a contact layer dressing two main factors must be taken into consideration:

• Wound bed assessment
  • Re-epithelializing
  • Granulating
  • Slough
  • Critcially colonized/infected
  • Necrotic
  • Cavity wound
• Moisture assessment
  • Dry wounds (little to no fluid on wound dressing)
  • Wet wounds (drenched bandages and maceration of surrounding skin)

Throughout the wound dressing chapter, the following references will be used.