Wound Dressings

It is estimated that 50 million surgical procedures are performed in the United States annually, with surgical site infections estimated to be one of the leading causes of hospital-acquired infections with associated direct and indirect medical costs estimated to be between $1 and 10 billion. An appropriate wound dressing is important when treating the wound. Various modalities of wound dressings: low adherent, occlusive hydrocolloid, gauze, transparent film, hydrogel, foam, alginates, hydrofibers, and antimicrobial dressings are available on the market. This chapter summarizes current knowledge about wound dressings and their use in the acute and chronic wound setting.