Table 2.

Advantages and disadvantages of some dressings used for the treatment of wounds.

Formulation Type	Indications	Advantages	Disadvantages	References
Foams	They are indicated for wounds with moderate to high levels of exudates.	They are semipermeable and have good porosity; They provide thermal insulation; They ensure a moist environment; They are suitable for sensitive and fragile skin; They have good absorption capacity; They can reduce over granulation; They allow atraumatic removal.	They do not offer mechanical protection; They are not suitable for treatment of burns.	[13,19,25,26,27]
Hydrogels	They are indicated for dry necrotic wounds and minimally exuding wounds.	They have high water content and maintain a moist environment; They are clear or transparent, allowing the wound monitoring; They promote re-epithelialization; They facilitate autolytic debridement of necrotic area.	They have weak mechanical properties; They are used in combination with a secondary dressing (such as foams).	[19,27,28,29]
Hydrocolloids	They are suitable for partial- or full-thickness acute and chronic wounds.	They maintain a moist environment; They absorb minimal to moderate amounts of drainage; They are easy to be removed; They facilitate autolytic debridement of necrotic area; They contribute to pain management; They provide a barrier to external microorganism; They promote re-epithelialization; They promote acidification which can inhibit bacteria growth.	They can have toxicity; They have weak mechanical properties; They can have unpleasant odor.	[19,27,30]
Films	They can be used as primary or secondary dressings. As primary dressing, they are indicated for dry, superficial wound. As a secondary dressing they can be used combined with foam dressings in heavier exuding wounds.	They are semipermeable (impermeability to water, bacteria, and dirt; but permeable to wet vapors); They maintain a moist environment; They are flexible; They are clear or transparent, allowing the wound monitoring.	They do not absorb exudates; They generally require a border of dry, intact skin for application (for adhesiveness); They can damage the epidermal skin layer during the removal.	[19,20,27,31]
Membranes	They are indicated for infected wounds with moderate to heavily exuding wounds.	They have high capacity to absorb exudate (up to 20 times their weight); They are permeable to wet vapors; They maintain a moist environment; They are flexible and biodegradable; They minimize bacterial infection.	They can cause excessive dehydration (not indicated to dry wounds); Some membranes require secondary dressings (to avoid dryness).	[19,27,31]