Dressing Options

This is not an exhaustive list. These dressings are examples of available products used at London Health Sciences Centre. If you have a dressing not on this page, please visit the manufacturer’s website. All information in this chart has been obtained from the manufacturer’s website. These links will be provided by clicking on the dressing name within the type of dressing column, or by the links page of this website.

Type Of Dressing

Dressing Name Examples

About This Dressing

Type Of Wound Used For

Foam Dressing

Examples of foam dressings

Biatain

Allevyn (Smith & Nephew), Biatain (Coloplast), Mepilex/Mepilex Border (Molnlycke), Tegaderm foam(3M)

Cost effective - can be left in place for up to 7 days
Promotes a moist wound environment
Highly absorbent
Can be used with topical agents
Comes in a variety of sizes and shapes
Does NOT provide "padding" for skin
Mepilex/ Mepilex border Silicone layer keeps exudate off the wound and periwound skin surface reducing maceration

Heavily Exudating
Pressure Ulcer
Surgical
Venous Leg Ulcer
Neuropathic/ Diabetic Ulcer
Burn
Donor Site
Fungating/ Malignant

Calcium Alginate and Hydrofibre*

Calcium Alginate and Hydrofibre

Aquacel/Ribbon (ConvaTec); also a hydrofibre dressing*, Kaltostat (ConvaTec)**

Can be left on until saturated which depends on wound drainage
Promotes a moist wound environment
Interacts with exudate to form a gel*
Useful for packing wounds
Always requires a secondary dressing
Haemostatic

Moderate/Heavy Exudating wound
Pressure Ulcer
Surgical

Hydrocolloid

Tegasorb (3M)

Cost effective – worn up to 7 days
Promotes a moist wound environment
Promotes autolytic debridement
Waterproof and occlusive, which prevents bacterial contamination

Low Exudating
Pressure Ulcer
Venous Leg Ulcer
First/Second Degree Burn
Donor Site
Dry
Superficial

Hydrogel

DuoDerm Gel (ConvaTec), Intrasite Gel (Smith and Nephew)

Easily removed from wound by irrigation with normal saline/sterile water
Increases moisture, preventing eschar formation
In dry wounds can be mixed with Iodosorb and Flagyl
Promotes autolytic debridement without damaging fragile granulating tissue
Secondary dressing is required

Pressure Ulcer
Surgical
Venous Leg Ulcer
Burn
Malignant
Dry
Partial Thickness
Laceration
Necrotic

Antimicrobial Dressings/Topical Antimicrobial Preparations

Antimicrobial dressings/Tropical antimicrobial preparations

Honeycolloid

Wet rounds

Triact

Acticoat (Smith and Nephew), Tegasorb Silver (3M), Actisorb Silver (Johnson & Johnson), MepilexAg (Molnlycke),

Flamazine (Smith and Nephew), Iodosorb (Smith and Nephew),

Medihoney (Derma Science),

Mesalt (Molnlycke), Polysporin,

Triact silver contact layer (Hollister Wound Care)

Acticoat remains effective for up to 3 days; use with sterile water not normal saline; can be remoistened
Actisorb Silver contains charcoal which absorbs odor and bacterial toxins
Iodosorb Antimicrobial activity is sustained for approximately 3 days; goes on brown, change when cream coloured
Medihoney Calcium alginate for wet wounds & honeycolloid for dry wounds and debriding.; quickly reduces odour and useful in all phases of wound healing
Mesalt is impregnated with sodium chloride (hypertonic solution); use on wet wounds only and change q 24 hours
Triact Silver Contact Layer helps avoid maceration; allows exudate to pass through into outer absorbent layer; does not adhere to wounds and therefore less painful during removal

Moderate/High Exudating
Pressure Ulcer
Surgical
Venous Leg Ulcer
Diabetic Ulcer
Burn
Infected
Sloughy or Infected wounds
Fungating exogenous tumours (commonly from late stage breast cancer)
Cellulitis (Triact)

Skin Protectant

Skin protectant

No Sting Barrier (3M), Proshield (Healthpoint)

Provides 24 hour incontinence protection
Periwound skin protectant
Reduces friction and shear
Does not require a cover dressing

Protects intact or damaged skin from bodily fluids, adhesives, and friction
Proshield can be used up to and including Stage ll pressure ulcers and fungating wounds

Soft Silicone Dressing

Soft silicone dressing

Mepitel (Molnlycke)

Minimizes maceration
Prevents the cover/secondary dressing from sticking to the wound, minimizing trauma and pain at dressing change
Can remain intact for up to 7 days (change cover dressing only as needed)

Second degree burn and chronic wound
Skin Tear
Abrasion
Painful wounds and wounds with compromised surrounding skin

Self Adherent Absorbent Dressing

Self Adherent Absorbent dressing

Alldress (Molnlycke), Island Dressing such as Medipore (3M) and Tegaderm (3M)

Provides a moist wound environment
Absorbs exudate
Primary dressing for clean wounds where a barrier is needed
Secondary dressing for open wounds, for example antimicrobial dressings or calcium alginate/ hydrofiber
All in one sterile dressings to be used as a primary or secondary dressing
A combination of a non-adherent pad covered with a waterproof, transparent backing on a soft cloth conformable cover

Low Exudating
Pressure Ulcer
Venous Leg Ulcer
First/Second Degree Burn
Donor Site
Dry
Superficial
Infected wound

Please Note

The content and images on the Wound Care Site are intended for Health Professionals and may be disturbing to some.

Wound Care Management

Dressing Options

Type Of Dressing

Dressing Name Examples

About This Dressing

Type Of Wound Used For

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Last Updated July 17, 2009 | © 2007, LHSC, London Ontario Canada

Type Of Dressing	Dressing Name Examples	About This Dressing	Type Of Wound Used For
Foam Dressing	Allevyn (Smith & Nephew), Biatain (Coloplast), Mepilex/Mepilex Border (Molnlycke), Tegaderm foam(3M)	Cost effective - can be left in place for up to 7 days Promotes a moist wound environment Highly absorbent Can be used with topical agents Comes in a variety of sizes and shapes Does NOT provide "padding" for skin Mepilex/ Mepilex border Silicone layer keeps exudate off the wound and periwound skin surface reducing maceration	Heavily Exudating Pressure Ulcer Surgical Venous Leg Ulcer Neuropathic/ Diabetic Ulcer Burn Donor Site Fungating/ Malignant
Calcium Alginate and Hydrofibre*	Aquacel/Ribbon (ConvaTec); also a hydrofibre dressing, Kaltostat (ConvaTec)*	Can be left on until saturated which depends on wound drainage Promotes a moist wound environment Interacts with exudate to form a gel* Useful for packing wounds Always requires a secondary dressing Haemostatic	Moderate/Heavy Exudating wound Pressure Ulcer Surgical
Hydrocolloid	Tegasorb (3M)	Cost effective – worn up to 7 days Promotes a moist wound environment Promotes autolytic debridement Waterproof and occlusive, which prevents bacterial contamination	Low Exudating Pressure Ulcer Venous Leg Ulcer First/Second Degree Burn Donor Site Dry Superficial
Hydrogel	DuoDerm Gel (ConvaTec), Intrasite Gel (Smith and Nephew)	Easily removed from wound by irrigation with normal saline/sterile water Increases moisture, preventing eschar formation In dry wounds can be mixed with Iodosorb and Flagyl Promotes autolytic debridement without damaging fragile granulating tissue Secondary dressing is required	Pressure Ulcer Surgical Venous Leg Ulcer Burn Malignant Dry Partial Thickness Laceration Necrotic
Antimicrobial Dressings/Topical Antimicrobial Preparations	Acticoat (Smith and Nephew), Tegasorb Silver (3M), Actisorb Silver (Johnson & Johnson), MepilexAg (Molnlycke), Flamazine (Smith and Nephew), Iodosorb (Smith and Nephew), Medihoney (Derma Science), Mesalt (Molnlycke), Polysporin, Triact silver contact layer (Hollister Wound Care)	Acticoat remains effective for up to 3 days; use with sterile water not normal saline; can be remoistened Actisorb Silver contains charcoal which absorbs odor and bacterial toxins Iodosorb Antimicrobial activity is sustained for approximately 3 days; goes on brown, change when cream coloured Medihoney Calcium alginate for wet wounds & honeycolloid for dry wounds and debriding.; quickly reduces odour and useful in all phases of wound healing Mesalt is impregnated with sodium chloride (hypertonic solution); use on wet wounds only and change q 24 hours Triact Silver Contact Layer helps avoid maceration; allows exudate to pass through into outer absorbent layer; does not adhere to wounds and therefore less painful during removal	Moderate/High Exudating Pressure Ulcer Surgical Venous Leg Ulcer Diabetic Ulcer Burn Infected Sloughy or Infected wounds Fungating exogenous tumours (commonly from late stage breast cancer) Cellulitis (Triact)
Skin Protectant	No Sting Barrier (3M), Proshield (Healthpoint)	Provides 24 hour incontinence protection Periwound skin protectant Reduces friction and shear Does not require a cover dressing	Protects intact or damaged skin from bodily fluids, adhesives, and friction Proshield can be used up to and including Stage ll pressure ulcers and fungating wounds
Soft Silicone Dressing	Mepitel (Molnlycke)	Minimizes maceration Prevents the cover/secondary dressing from sticking to the wound, minimizing trauma and pain at dressing change Can remain intact for up to 7 days (change cover dressing only as needed)	Second degree burn and chronic wound Skin Tear Abrasion Painful wounds and wounds with compromised surrounding skin
Self Adherent Absorbent Dressing	Alldress (Molnlycke), Island Dressing such as Medipore (3M) and Tegaderm (3M)	Provides a moist wound environment Absorbs exudate Primary dressing for clean wounds where a barrier is needed Secondary dressing for open wounds, for example antimicrobial dressings or calcium alginate/ hydrofiber All in one sterile dressings to be used as a primary or secondary dressing A combination of a non-adherent pad covered with a waterproof, transparent backing on a soft cloth conformable cover	Low Exudating Pressure Ulcer Venous Leg Ulcer First/Second Degree Burn Donor Site Dry Superficial Infected wound