The Wound Care and First Aid Supply Guide

Health information notice. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always ask your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider. In an emergency, call 911.

Quick answer. For everyday injuries, keep a stocked first aid kit with bandages, gauze, tape and gloves. For larger or slow-healing wounds, a clinician should choose the dressing. Common dressing types are adhesive bandages, non-adherent pads, foam, transparent film, hydrocolloid and absorbent dressings.

What belongs in first aid products and kits?

For everyday injuries, a stocked kit is the best start. The American Red Cross lists what a first aid kit should include. Our First Aid Products and Kits & Trays categories have individual items and ready-made kits. Example: the McKesson Travel First Aid Kit. Our guide, Build a Home First Aid Kit, has a full checklist.

What types of wound dressings are there?

Dressings cover and protect a wound. The right type depends on the wound, so ask a clinician or pharmacist about anything beyond a minor injury. These are general descriptions of common product types, not advice for a particular wound, with examples from our catalog:

• Adhesive bandages, for small cuts and scrapes: Band-Aid Flexible Fabric.
• Non-adherent pads, which do not stick to the wound: dynarex Non-Adherent Dressing.
• Foam dressings are padded and absorbent. Ask a clinician which kind suits a wound.
• Hydrocolloid dressings are a gel-forming type that can stay in place longer. Ask a clinician whether one is right. Browse Wound Dressings.
• Transparent film and absorbent dressings are used for specific wounds, usually under clinical guidance.

Browse Wound Dressings.

What is gauze used for?

Gauze comes as pads, rolls and sponges, sterile and non-sterile. Sterile gauze covers wounds, and rolls hold dressings in place. Pair it with tape: Kendall Cloth Medical Tape, or ComfiTape Silicone Medical Tape for fragile skin. Browse Gauze.

What are wound and skin prep products?

These products clean and prepare the skin around a wound, and some protect the skin from tape and moisture. Fragile skin tears easily, so use gentle tape and remove it slowly. Browse Wound & Skin Prep.

What about cast and splint supplies?

Casts and splints are applied by a healthcare professional. Supplies for protection and care are in Cast & Splint. Example: the Seal-Tight Arm Cast Protector. Follow the care instructions you were given, and call your provider if you have questions or concerns about a cast.

How do I care for a minor cut?

1. Wash your hands, and put on gloves if you have them.
2. For bleeding, the Red Cross advises placing a dressing on the wound and applying steady, firm pressure directly over it. It advises holding pressure until the bleeding stops, and not removing the first gauze pad if blood soaks through.
3. Cover the wound with a bandage or dressing, and follow the directions on the package for how often to change it.
4. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist how to clean a wound before you cover it.

When should I get help?

Call your healthcare provider for a deep cut, a wound that keeps bleeding after you press firmly, an animal bite, or signs of infection such as spreading redness, swelling, warmth, pus or fever. Wounds that are not healing, or wounds in people with diabetes or poor circulation, also need professional care. The Red Cross says to call 911 if blood is flowing continuously or spurting, if blood loss is large (about half a soda can), or if there are signs of shock such as a rapid, weak heartbeat or pale, gray or cool, moist skin.

How do I choose?

1. What kind of wound, and where? Joints need flexible dressings. Wet areas need waterproof ones.
2. How much fluid? More drainage needs more absorbency.
3. How sensitive is the skin? Use gentle tape and remove slowly.
4. Who changes it? Choose something the caregiver can handle easily.
5. Check dates. Check expiration dates and replace anything used or out of date, as the Red Cross advises for first aid kits.

What do workplaces need?

OSHA standard 1910.151(b) requires adequate first aid supplies to be readily available where there is no infirmary, clinic or hospital in near proximity to the workplace. OSHA's letter of interpretation from 2002 says the ANSI Z308.1 kit contents should be adequate for a small worksite (OSHA has not adopted that standard), and that larger or multiple operations should consider additional kits and larger quantities. Check the rules that apply to your business and your state. Stock a range of dressing sizes, keep stations checked on a schedule, and compare by UOM (Each, Box, Case).

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between gauze and a dressing? Gauze is an absorbent cloth. A dressing is a product designed to cover and protect a wound; some are made of gauze.

How often should I change a dressing? Follow the instructions from your clinician or the product. Change it sooner if it is wet or dirty.

What should be in a workplace first aid kit? It depends on your workplace and local rules. OSHA points to the ANSI Z308.1 contents as adequate for small sites.

Next steps

Read Build a Home First Aid Kit: A Fall and Winter Checklist, and browse the First Aid & Wound Care menu.

Sources

1. American Red Cross, "Make a First Aid Kit: What to Include": https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/anatomy-of-a-first-aid-kit.html
2. American Red Cross, "Bleeding (Life-Threatening External)": https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/resources/learn-first-aid/bleeding-life-threatening-external
3. OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.151: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.151
4. OSHA, "Clarification of 1910.151 (Medical Services and First Aid)": https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2002-04-18-0
5. American Red Cross, "Wounds": https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/resources/learn-first-aid/wounds

This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always ask your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider. In an emergency, call 911. Last reviewed October 2026.