ABSTRACT
Given the myriad of choices available on the market, selecting the appropriate wound dressing remains a challenge for most healthcare workers. It is important to exercise discretion and adopt a systematic approach in dressing selection following wound assessment, as this will directly impact on rates of wound healing, which in turns affects the patient’s quality of life and overall healthcare costs. This paper provides an overview of the common types of wound dressings in use currently and gives a brief synopsis of some of the latest advances in wound care technology and their applications in management of complex wounds. The consensus to date is for the use of hydrogels in the debridement stage, foams and low-adherence dressings in the granulation stage and hydrocolloids and low-adherence dressings for the epithelialization stage. Additional studies and research need to be undertaken to further evaluate the application of advanced wound technology in clinical practice.