Medical dressing
Medical Dressing
Medical Dressing (pronunciation: /ˈmɛdɪkəl ˈdrɛsɪŋ/) is a sterile pad or compress applied to a wound to promote healing and protect the wound from further harm.
Etymology
The term "dressing" comes from the Old French drecier, meaning to prepare or arrange. In the context of medicine, it refers to the act of applying a sterile covering to a wound.
Types of Medical Dressing
There are several types of medical dressings, each with specific uses and benefits. Some of the most common types include:
- Gauze: This is a thin, translucent fabric with a loose open weave. It is used to absorb bodily fluids and keep the wound clean.
- Hydrocolloid Dressing: This type of dressing is used on burns, light to moderately draining wounds, necrotic wounds, under compression wraps, pressure ulcers, and venous ulcers.
- Hydrogel Dressing: This dressing is used for dry, necrotic wounds, burns, pressure ulcers, and wounds with granulation tissue.
- Alginate Dressing: This is used for moderate to high amounts of wound drainage, venous ulcers, packing wounds, and pressure ulcers in stage III or IV.
- Collagen Dressing: This is used for chronic wounds, wounds that aren't healing with standard treatments, transplant sites, surgical wounds, ulcers, and burns.
Related Terms
- Bandage: A piece of material used either to support a medical device such as a dressing or splint, or on its own to provide support to or to restrict the movement of a part of the body.
- First Aid: The immediate assistance given to any person suffering a serious illness or injury, with care provided to preserve life, prevent the condition from worsening, or to promote recovery.
- Wound: A type of injury which happens relatively quickly in which skin is torn, cut, or punctured (an open wound), or where blunt force trauma causes a contusion (a closed wound).
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Medical dressing
- Wikipedia's article - Medical dressing
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