Which wound dressing should you use?
Choose a dressing by matching exudate level and wound bed condition: dry wounds need moisture (hydrogel or hydrocolloid), low to moderate exudate suits a foam or silicone foam, heavy exudate needs a superabsorbent, fragile skin needs silicone adhesive, and infected wounds need a time-limited antimicrobial. Always follow your local wound formulary. This page explains the reasoning behind each choice.
Six steps
A repeatable way to choose a dressing
Work through the wound bed, the exudate, the surrounding skin, infection risk, retention and wear time — in that order — and the dressing choice follows.
Assess the wound bed
Look at what the wound bed is made of. Dry or necrotic tissue needs moisture added; sloughy tissue needs moisture and debridement support; granulating tissue needs protection and a moist balance; over-granulating or infected wounds need specific management. Record size, depth and any undermining so you can measure progress.
Measure the exudate level
Exudate drives the choice more than anything else. None to light suits a film, hydrocolloid or low adherent pad. Moderate suits a foam or silicone foam. Heavy suits a superabsorbent, and very heavy or leaking wounds may need a superabsorbent plus a secondary pad and more frequent review.
Check the surrounding skin
Fragile, elderly, oedematous or already macerated skin needs a silicone adhesive or a non-adhesive dressing held with a retention bandage — not an acrylic adhesive. Use a barrier film to protect peri-wound skin where exudate is high.
Decide on antimicrobial cover
Only use an antimicrobial dressing where there are clinical signs of local infection or a high risk of it: silver, iodine, PHMB, honey or DACC dressings. Review after two weeks — antimicrobials are for a defined challenge period, not a permanent dressing choice.
Pick the retention layer
Bordered dressings hold themselves. Non-bordered dressings need tape, a conforming bandage, a cohesive bandage or tubular bandaging. Under compression, keep the primary dressing low-profile so it does not create pressure points.
Set the wear time
Change the dressing when it reaches capacity, when exudate strikes through, when it lifts or is soiled, or at the review point in the care plan. Longer wear time is usually cheaper and better for healing than daily gauze changes, so choose absorbency that lasts to the planned change.
Dressing types
What each dressing type is for
Nine dressing families cover almost all wound care. This is the short version of what each one does and when to reach for it.
- Film dressings
- Dry or very lightly exuding wounds, IV sites and as a secondary cover. Transparent, so the wound can be inspected without removal.
- Hydrocolloids
- Light exudate, shallow wounds and granulating wounds. Form a gel with exudate, keeping the wound moist for several days.
- Hydrogels
- Dry, sloughy or necrotic wounds needing rehydration and autolytic debridement. Need a secondary dressing.
- Alginates and hydrofibers
- Moderate to heavy exudate and cavity wounds. Gel on contact and can be packed into cavities; some carry silver.
- Foam dressings
- Low to moderate exudate, the everyday clinical workhorse. Available bordered, non-bordered and shaped for sacrum and heel.
- Silicone dressings
- Fragile skin, painful wounds and skin tears. Atraumatic on removal and can be repositioned during application.
- Superabsorbents
- Heavy exudate, leg ulcers and dehisced wounds. Lock exudate away to protect the surrounding skin and extend wear time.
- Antimicrobials
- Locally infected or high-risk wounds. Silver, iodine, PHMB, DACC and medical-grade honey, used for a defined challenge period.
- Contact layers
- Protecting a fragile wound bed under an absorbent pad, and over grafts, burns and skin tears.
Workplace wound care
What a compliant workplace should hold
Workplace first aid needs sterile dressings in small, medium and large, plasters (blue detectable in food areas), sterile saline for cleansing, tape or a retention bandage, gloves, and a burns dressing where there is a burn risk.
Keep dressings in date, restock after every use, and audit monthly. Sterility is only assured while the wrapper is intact and the expiry date has not passed, so a dressing that has been rattling loose in a kit should be replaced rather than used.
FAQs
Wound dressing questions, answered
- What is the difference between traditional and advanced wound dressings?
- Traditional dressings such as gauze and absorbent pads cover and absorb; advanced dressings actively manage the wound environment. Foams, silicones, hydrogels, alginates, hydrocolloids and superabsorbents keep the wound bed moist while handling exudate, which speeds healing and reduces pain at dressing changes.
- How do I choose a dressing for a wound?
- Match the dressing to exudate level and wound bed. Dry or sloughy wounds need moisture — a hydrogel or hydrocolloid. Low to moderate exudate suits a foam or silicone foam. Heavy exudate needs a superabsorbent. Fragile skin needs silicone adhesive, and infected wounds may need an antimicrobial such as silver or honey. Always follow your local wound formulary.
- Which wound care brands does Lanson Group supply?
- Steroplast Healthcare leads our wound care range, with Klinion and the Kliniderm advanced dressing range and Essity Leukoplast tapes and film dressings. We also supply Mölnlycke, Smith+Nephew, ConvaTec, Coloplast, Urgo, Solventum (3M), Systagenix, L-Mesitran, Crest Medical, Cuxson Gerrard, Optimum Medical and more through the same trade account.
- How often should a wound dressing be changed?
- Change when the dressing is at capacity, when exudate reaches the edges (strike-through), when it is loose or soiled, or at the interval set in the care plan. Modern foams and superabsorbents can stay in place for several days, which is one of the reasons they cost less over a course of treatment than daily gauze changes.
- Should wounds be cleaned with saline or tap water?
- Sterile saline is the clinical standard for acute, surgical and clinically managed wounds because it is isotonic and does not harm healing tissue. Potable tap water is acceptable for many chronic wounds in the community, but clinical settings should follow local policy, which normally specifies sterile saline pods or prefilled syringes.
- How do I get wound care trade prices from Lanson Group?
- Product information on this site is open to everyone. Trade prices and ordering appear once you log in with an approved Lanson Group trade account — apply online and we review the application, usually within one working day.
Need help standardising your wound care list?
Send us your current wound care order or formulary and we will map it to equivalent Steroplast, Klinion and Leukoplast lines, with the specialist brands kept where clinical practice requires them.
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