Abstract
A potential shortcoming of foam dressings occurs when the wound to be
dressed is a deep cavity or has undermining or sinus tracts. A general principle of
wound management is that the dressing used should gently fill all open spaces of
the wound to prevent the premature closure of the proximal portion of the wound,
thereby creating an abscess. Most foams are resilient and do not conform well to
depth or cavities (e.g., if you take a foam and fold it in half then let go of it; it usually
unfolds quickly to become flat again). While there are a few foams designed
especially for cavities, if the wound has significant depth and needs absorbency, a
different type of absorbent dressing may be called for.