Wound Dressings, Debridement & Negative Pressure Therapy

Dressing choice depends on exudate level and wound goal, not habit: hydrocolloid dressings suit light-to-moderate exudate and support autolytic debridement while staying in place for several days; alginate dressings are highly absorptive and used for heavy-exudate or packing deeper cavity wounds; foam dressings cushion and absorb moderate-to-heavy drainage; hydrogel dressings donate moisture to dry wounds with minimal exudate; and transparent film dressings suit minimal-exudate or Stage 1 prevention needs while allowing the wound to be visualized without removing the dressing.