Choosing the right wound dressing in community nursing

Wound care is estimated to cost £8.3 billion annually and takes up to 50% of community nurse time. Thorough wound assessments followed by selecting the best wound dressing for the patient, taking into consideration wound severity (acute or chronic), depth, location, treatment duration and ease of application will help to improve wound healing rates and patient quality of life while saving on healthcare resources. This article discusses synthetic dressings, which make up most modern dressings, and include moist, absorbent, and non-adherent dressings that are further broken down into different products. This article explores the mode of action of each dressing, their recommended indications, and summarises their strengths and limitations for ease of reference. Healthcare professionals should continue to keep up to date with the current research and guidelines in order to provide care that optimises wound healing.