Dressings

• Foam dressings: padded, absorbent dressings, with or without an adhesive border, including Allevyn.
• Silicone foam dressings: foam with a soft silicone layer on the side that touches the skin, including Mepilex.
• Hydrocolloid dressings: thin, flexible dressings that form a gel as they take up fluid, including DuoDerm CGF.
• Alginate and gelling fiber dressings: soft calcium alginate dressings such as Kaltostat, and Hydrofiber gelling fiber dressings such as Aquacel Ribbon.
• Hydrogel dressings: water-based gels, such as Intrasite, that add moisture to a dressing.
• Transparent film dressings: thin, clear dressings that hold a wound covering in place.
• Gauze and non-adherent dressings: gauze pads and rolls, non-adherent dressings such as Telfa, and petrolatum gauze such as Xeroform.
• Collagen and honey dressings: specialty dressings for clinical wound care programs.

Product names give the dressing type, brand, and size, written as width by length in inches or centimeters. Check whether the dressing has an adhesive border, whether it is sterile, and how it is sold: each, box, carton, or case. A wound care nurse, doctor, or other clinician chooses the dressing for a particular wound.

A bordered foam dressing has an adhesive edge that holds it in place. A borderless foam dressing is held in place with tape or a wrap.

A Hydrofiber, or gelling fiber, dressing such as Aquacel turns into a gel as it takes up fluid.

The surface of the dressing is made not to stick to the wound.

Wound Care Products & Dressings, Dressing Accessories, and Wound Measurers.