Gauze pads are used to protect and cushion wounds, absorb fluids, apply ointments, and clean wounds. They can be made from cotton, synthetic fiber, or silk and come in different forms. Dry pads wick away moisture, while moist pads promote healing. Impregnated pads contain substances to promote healing, but should not be used continuously. Mechanical debridement can be performed with wet and dry dressings, but may be painful and leave fibers.
A gauze pad is a piece of tissue used to protect and cushion a wound, to absorb blood or other fluids, to apply ointments, or to rub cleansing liquids, such as alcohol or iodine, on a wound or incision site. Gauze is a light, thin, loosely woven fabric commonly made from cotton or synthetic fiber, although it can also be made from other materials, such as silk. Most of these dressings are non-adherent and can be dry, moist, or drug-impregnated. Sterile pads are used for many medical purposes, especially on open wounds, but non-sterile pads can be used for padding, cleansing and absorbing areas less at risk of infection.
Pads made of gauze generally have a loose, open weave, where adjacent warps are twisted together through the weft, allowing wound fluids to be absorbed into the fibers, driven off, or passed through other absorbent materials in the wound dressing. The fibers of the non-woven pads are pressed together to resemble a texture. They are probably less absorbent, but have the advantage of leaving fewer fibers in a wound when removed. The size of the gaps can vary, depending on the purpose of the dressing. In addition to pads, gauze dressings include sponges, strings, rolls, tapes, and strips, each with different benefits and functions.
Dry gauze is often used to cover, cushion, and absorb leaks from an open wound with excessive exudate. Exudate is fluid, such as blood or pus, from the circulatory system that travels to the site of an infection, injury, or inflammation. A dry dressing wicks away this moisture. This is important because while a wound may need to be covered to protect it from external infection, excessive moisture can cause maceration, in which the surrounding skin becomes damaged by constant moisture and becomes more susceptible to infection. Additionally, dry gauze promotes the formation of a scab, a tough fibrin covering the wound that protects the injury site from foreign infection and allows for internal healing.
A moist pad is designed to hold moisture at the wound site. Moist wound healing was proposed as an acceptable treatment in 1962 by George D. Winter, who found that moist wound healing conditions were more conducive to healing and regrowth than dry healing by scabbing. These pads allow exudate, which contains many immune cells, to collect to protect against foreign bodies. The moisture, hormones and enzymes carried by the exudate also promote the division of epithelial cells or the growth of an outer layer of tissue, such as skin. This eases discomfort during healing and can reduce scarring.
Wet and dry dressings can also be used to perform mechanical debridement, which means that, once removed, the gauze pad removes dead or infected tissue. This method is inexpensive and effective, but also potentially painful and can leave fibers, prolonging the healing time of the wound. These dressings often come in three layers with very loose weaves. The first layer of the skin is saturated with saline, the second layer is impregnated with petroleum jelly, and the third is dry gauze. When removed, saline is often reapplied to reduce pain.
An impregnated gauze pad is infused with a substance to promote healing, such as an antiseptic, hydrogel, or hypertonic saline solution. Antimicrobial-impregnated pads, such as the silver-infused pads often used on burn victims, are used to keep wounds clean and fight infection. Dressings impregnated with hypertonic saline are infused with sodium chloride, which draws moisture away from excessively exuding wounds. These pads should not be used continuously, as wounds need a certain amount of moisture and the immune properties of the exudate to heal.
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