Wound Dressings

Question 1

Transparent films Indications

Answer 1

Stage 1+2 pressure ulcers
Secondary dressing in some situations
Good for autolytic debridement
Skin donor sites
Cover for hydrophilic powder and paste preparations and hydrogels

Question 2

Transparent film adv and disadvantage

Answer 2

ADV
- Can keep an eye on wound because see through
- Impermeable to external fluids and bacteria so keeping wound safe
- Minimal friction
- Promotes autolytic debridement
- comfy

DISADV
- NON ABSORPTIVE so DO NOT USE on heavy exudate wounds
- application can be hard
- Don’t use if surrounding wound area is fragile

Question 3

Hydrocolloids indications

Answer 3

Protection of partial thickness wounds
Autolytic debridement of necrosis or slough
Wounds with MILD exudate — they have min/mod absorbency

NOT recommended for heavy exudate wounds, infection, or periwound maceration

Question 4

Hydrogel indications

Answer 4

Partial and full thickness wounds
Wound with necrotic or slough tissue
Burns and tissue damage by radiation
Good for diabetic wounds

NOT FOR HEAVY EXUDATE OR INFECTION

Question 5

Foam dressing indications

Answer 5

Partial and full thickness wounds with min to mod exudate
Secondary dressing for wounds with packing to provide extra absorption
Protect and insulate wounds
Manages min-heavy exudate

DO NOT USE ON DRY WOUNDS OR WOUNDS WITH NO EXUDATE, ESCHAR, OR INFECTION

Question 6

Alginates and hydro fibers

Answer 6

Mod-large amounts of exudate — go to for lots of drainage
Wounds with combo exudate and necrosis
Wounds that require packing
Infected and non infected exudating wounds

DO NOT USE ON DRY ESCHAR

Question 7

GAUZE

Answer 7

Exudate wounds
Dead space, tunneling, sinus tracts
Combo exudate or necrotic tissue
GO TO for infection
Protects clean wounds

— Can sometimes be pain on removal, labor intensive, requires secondary dressing, and you want to avoid direct contact with granulations tissue