Essential Wound Care Supplies Checklist: Home and Clinical Use
What are the supplies for wound care?
The Quick Answer
**Core supplies**: sterile saline for cleansing, non-adherent primary dressings (petrolatum gauze, silicone sheets), absorptive secondary dressings (gauze rolls, foam), medical tape, scissors, gloves, and measuring tools. For complex wounds: alginate/hydrogel fillers, compression bandages, or NPWT systems. Always include a wound measurement guide—tracking size reduction weekly predicts healing trajectory and flags complications early.
Why We Ask This
Home caregivers purchase random supplies without understanding wound-specific requirements—using adhesive bandages on exuding wounds causing maceration or dry gauze on fragile tissue causing traumatic removal that reopens healing edges.
The Practical Science
Supply selection follows wound assessment: exudate level dictates absorptive capacity needed; tissue type determines adherence risk; location influences securement method. The TIME framework (Tissue, Infection, Moisture, Edge) guides appropriate product matching to wound characteristics.
In Clinical Practice
A stage 2 pressure ulcer with light exudate receives silicone non-adherent primary dressing plus gauze roll secondary layer changed daily. The same wound with heavy exudate requires alginate primary dressing to manage fluid—demonstrating how supply selection must adapt to dynamic wound changes rather than using one-size-fits-all approaches.
References & Context
12 Essential Wound Care Supplies - Richmond Dental & Medical"Here are the 11 wound care supplies that every medical professional should always have on hand to use as they care for patients' injuries.Gauze Sponges. ... Braided Cotton Rolls. ... Non-Woven Sponges. ... Cotton Tipped Applicators. ... Cotton Balls. ... Bandages and Dressings. ... Suture Removal Kits. ... Medical Gloves.More items..."