Type of tissue in the wound | Therapeutic goal | Role of dressing | Treatment options |
Wound bed preparation | Primary dressing | Secondary dressing |
| - Remove devitalized tissue
- Do not attempt debridement if vascular insufficiency suspected
- Keep dry and refer for vascular assessment
| - Hydration of wound bed
- Promote autolytic debridement
| - Surgical or mechanical debridement
| | - Polyurethane film dressing
|
- Sloughy, yellow, brown, black or grey
- Dry to low exudate
| - Remove slough
- Provide clean wound bed for granulation tissue
| - Rehydrate wound bed
- Control moisture balance
- Promote autolytic debridement
| - Surgical or mechanical debridement if appropriate
- Wound cleansing (consider antiseptic wound cleansing solution)
| | - Polyurethane film dressing
- Low adherent (silicone) dressing
|
- Sloughy, yellow, brown, black or grey
- Moderate to high exudate
| - Remove slough
- Provide clean wound bed for granulation tissue
- Exudate management
| - Absorb excess fluid
- Protect periwound skin to prevent maceration
- Promote autolytic debridement
| - Surgical or mechanical debridement if appropriate
- Wound cleansing (consider antiseptic wound cleansing solution)
- Consider barrier products
| - Absorbent dressing (alginate/CMC/foam)
- For deep wounds, use cavity strips, rope or ribbon versions
| - Retention bandage or polyurethane film dressing
|
- Granulating, clean, red
- Dry to low exudate
| - Promote granulation
- Provide healthy wound bed for epithelialization
| - Maintain moisture balance
- Protect new tissue growth
| | - Hydrogel
- Low adherent (silicone) dressing
- For deep wounds use cavity strips, rope or ribbon versions
| - Pad and/or retention bandage
- Avoid bandages that may cause occlusion and maceration
- Tapes should be used with caution due to allergy potential and secondary complications
|
- Granulating, clean, red
- Moderate to high exudate
| - Exudate management
- Provide healthy wound bed for epithelialization
| - Maintain moisture balance
- Protect new tissue growth
| - Wound cleansing
- Consider barrier products
| - Absorbent dressing (alginate/CMC/foam)
- Low adherent (silicone) dressing
- For deep wounds, use cavity strips, rope or ribbon versions
|
- Epithelializing, red, pink
- No to low exudate
| - Promote epithelialization and wound maturation (contraction)
| - Protect new tissue growth
| | - Hydrocolloid (thin)
- Polyurethane film dressing
- Low adherent (silicone) dressing
|
- Infected
- Low to high exudate
| - Reduce bacterial load
- Exudate management
- Odor control
| - Antimicrobial action
- Moist wound healing
- Odor absorption
| - Wound cleansing (consider antiseptic wound cleansing solution)
- Consider barrier products
| |