Overview
Clinicians moisten the gauze with saline before applying it to a wound. Saline and gauze dressings are used in two ways. Clinicians use saline and gauze dressings as a moist wound dressing to help the wound heal, or they allow the dressing to dry out. When the dressing dries, it sticks to the devitalized (dead) tissue, so when it is removed, it removes the devitalized tissue. The name for this process is mechanical debridement.
Detailed Description
Clinicians should change the gauze dressings depending upon the goals of treatment. If the goal is to keep the wound bed moist, a clinician should change the dressing as often as every four hours. If the goal is to debride the wound, then the dressing changes depend upon the amount of drainage. Generally, this equals between two and four times each day. If the patient is released from a care facility into a home setting, the clinician will provide instructions to the patient on how to apply the dressing. If a patient is unsure of which dressings to use, or how to use them, he should contact his clinician or health care professional immediately.
Last updated: 19-May-04
