Ideal dressings

Apart from the most superficial injuries, the wound is going to result in a layer of dead tissue. The natural process of removing this tissue involves proteolysis and phagocytosis. The deeper the wound the more tissue has to be removed and the longer it will take for healing to occur. The ideal dressing would either support or augment the natural autolytic process or, even better, have an intrinsic enzymatic action. 

Wound-dressing materials are mainly classified as absorbent and non-absorbent, depending on the types of fibres used. Dressings vary with the type of wound and wound management and no single dressing is universally applicable. An ideal dressing is normally expected to ... 

The ideal wound dressing should minimize infection and pain, prevent excessive fluid loss, maintain a moist healing environment, promote epithelial restoration, and be biocompatible. However, dressings available in the market do not meet all the requirements necessary for an ideal dressing. In addition to the application of dressing, wound treatment includes irrigation of the affected area with an anesthetic solution followed by application of prophylactic antibiotics to prevent wound infection. 

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