Table 1.
Type of polymeric dressings | Properties | Advantages | Disadvantages |
---|---|---|---|
Films | Polyurethanes thin, flexible, transparent and self adhesion films Suitable for: uncontaminated, laser, and superficial wounds |
Good gases-permeability, impermeable to bacteria and fluids, easy wound monitoring through film transparency, and less maceration and painless | Difficult handled, adherence to wound bed, non-absorbent allowing wound exudates accumulation, easy bacterial invasion and infection and impermeable for proteins and drugs |
Foams | Polyurethane, PEG, and silicone bilaminate layers Suitable for: burns, chronic wounds, cavities wound-shape, and deep ulcers |
High absorbent, keep moist environment, non-leakage against bacterial invasion, very easy used, and costless | Very adherent, forming opaque layer which complicates wound monitoring, semi-permeable for gases, non-applicable for dried wounds, and poor stability |
Hydrogels | Natural and synthetic polymers, high absorption capacity, and used as soothing and cooling agent for cutaneous wounds. Suitable for: most wounds and burns types |
High exudates capacity, non-adherent, easily removed from wound, accelerate the healing, pain and inflammatory reduction, costless, easily developed and handled | Semi-transparent, semi-permeable to gases and water vapor, poor bacterial barrier, and sometimes poor mechanical stability |
Alginates | Alginate polymer in woven -fibers form. Ion exchange occurs with Ca-alginate and Na-blood serum Suitable for: surgical wounds and full burns |
High absorbent, non adherent, high mechanical stability, stable for long time, easily removed by saline solution, and good bacterial barrier | Very cost, unpleasant odor, difficult handled and unavailable due to their scarcity presence |
Hydrocolloids | Two phase’s systems from starch immobilized with iodine, dextran-PEG, or plastic woven polymers Suitable for: chronic ulcers and burns |
High absorbent materials, easily removed by saline or sterilized water, non-adherent, high density, water-proof materials, and no pain dressings | Have varied antimicrobial activity based structure, little cytotoxicity, volumetrically unstable, high leakage exudates, dextran hydrocolloid delays healing, impermeable to gases, unpleasant odor and color changes |