How much absorbency does a wound actually need?
Match the dressing to how wet the wound is. Both over- and under-absorbing cause problems.
Exudate is the fluid a wound produces. A little is normal and helpful. Too much overwhelms a dressing; too little means a dressing designed for heavy fluid will dry the wound out.
Judging it
- Low — the pad is barely marked after a day. A standard adhesive dressing is right.
- Moderate — the pad is visibly wet but not saturated. Standard dressing, changed daily or a little more often.
- High — fluid reaches the edges or leaks. You need a foam dressing or a gauze pad changed frequently.
The strike-through problem
When fluid reaches the outer surface of a dressing, bacteria have a continuous wet path from the outside world to the wound. That dressing must be changed immediately, regardless of when it went on.
Drying out is also a failure
A wound that dries forms a hard scab, which cracks and delays closure. The goal is moist, not wet and not dry.
See a pharmacist, GP or urgent care if a wound will not stop bleeding after ten minutes of firm pressure, is deep or gaping, was caused by something dirty or rusty, contains anything you cannot flush out, or shows spreading redness, heat, swelling, pus or a fever. Get help urgently for animal or human bites, wounds over a joint, and any wound in someone with diabetes or poor circulation.
Shop the range
FitMedix products are CE-marked medical devices intended for the care of minor wounds. This site does not provide medical advice — seek professional help for deep, dirty or non-healing wounds, or if signs of infection appear. Always read the instructions on the pack.