Advances in wound dressings

Wound dressings have undergone an evolutionary process from natural materials that simply covered and concealed the wound, to materials that focused on moisture management, and more recently, to materials that either deliver active ingredients or interact directly with cells or specific chemicals in the local wound environment. Advances in dressings technology have led to a new proliferation of topical products that do more than just cover and conceal, but that also can facilitate the healing process as well as address specific issues in nonhealing wounds. Dressings may play an important adjunctive role in concert with overall efforts to manage the underlying causes of chronic nonhealing wounds. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.