Conventional dressings                                   Passive dressings Damage to tissue upon removal Frequent changes Shed fibres Limited absorption Products: Cotton wool, gauze	Non-adherent dressings Surface of the wound less traumatically affected Often requires secondary dressing with high exudate Serves as a contact layer Products: Adaptic, Atrauman, Jelonet, mepitel
Medicated dressings Non-adherent Requires frequent dressing changes Often requires secondary dressing with high exudate Products: Jelonet, Bactigrass, Inadine, Iodasorb	Film dressings Shallow wounds Secure dressings Transparent – inspection without removal Allow gaseous exchange but also protects against bacteria Products: Tegaderm, Bioclusive, Opsite, Hydrofilm, mefilm, spiroderm
Hydrocolloid dressings Wound fluid is accumulated away from wound In-expensive, water resistant, often self-adhesive Odor because of pectin interacting with the exudate Available in different thickness Also in paste Products: Comfeel, comfeel paste, Granuflex, Hydrocoll, Replicare.	Alginates Made from seaweed derivatives Act by causing chemical interchange on wound surface Desloughing agent Fibres turns to gel – easy removal Biodegradable Non-woven calcium and/or sodium fibre Products: Kaltostat, Sobalgon, algosterile, Seasorb.
Odour absorbers Contains activated charcoal Anti-bacterial action Neutralizes odour Reduces exudate Products: Actisorb plus silver, acticoat.	Hydrogels Facilitate desloughing of wounds and necrosis via rehydrating wounds Reduce pain Moist wound healing Absorbent pad or gel Products: Nugel, Intrasite gel, Hydrosorb, Purilon, granugel
Foam & hydropolymer dressings Highly absorbent, non-adherent Water proof and bacteria impermeable Self adherent/ secondary dressing Can be left on wound for up to seven days Products: Allevyn, allevyn cavity, Biatane, Tielle,	Products: Promogran Topical interactive wound therapy Binding and inactivation of proteases which have been shown to be detrimental in excess in chronic wounds Binding and protection of naturally occurring growth factors against degradation by these excess proteases.These naturally occurring, protected growth factors are released back into the wound, while the detrimental proteases remain inactive upon biodegradation of the promogran matrix Indications: chronic wounds clear of necrotic tissue and visible signs of infection