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

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

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

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