dressing
[dres´ing] 1. any of various materials used for covering and protecting a
wound.
2. in the
nursing interventions classification, a
nursing intervention defined as choosing, putting on, and removing clothes for a person who cannot do this for himself or herself.
biologic dressing one used in treatment of a burn or other large denuded area of skin to prevent infection and fluid loss; it may consist of synthetic material or a
xenograft,
allograft, or
autograft hydrocolloid dressing wafers or granules containing particles that interact with wound exudate to absorb the exudate by forming a gel.
pressure dressing one by which pressure is exerted on the covered area to prevent collection of fluids in underlying tissues; most commonly used after skin grafting and in treatment of burns.
protective dressing a light dressing to prevent exposure to injury or infection.
Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.