What is a Gauze?
Gauze represents a thin, translucent fabric with a loose open weave. If a Gauze is used for medical/clinical purposes, it is known as Medical Gauze.
Medical Gauzes can be categorized into two following types:
- Sterile Gauzes
- Non-Sterile Gauzes
What is a Sterile Gauze?
Sterile Gauzes are suitable for treating wounds and cuts. It helps to safeguard the wounds from additional physical damage and infection. Usually, Sterile Gauzes are treated with irradiation, chemicals, or heat to kill micro-organisms.
To use a Sterile Gauze, make sure to clean and sanitize the hands.
Since Sterile Gauze’s prime ambition is to clean the wounds and initiate healing, they are non-adhesive, non-toxic, and non-allergenic.
Apart from this, sterilized dressing is also treated with an antibiotic or antiseptic lotion.
One of Sterile Gauze’s significant advantages is that pre-cut sterilized dressing pads of various sizes are readily available in the market.
Another essential characteristic of Sterilized Gauze is that it absorbs body fluids.
The absorbent Sterile Gauze is available as a pre-folded pad, commonly used by surgeons, or pre-rolled Gauze, which dentists prefer.
Example:
- When dentists extract a tooth, they fill the space with a Rolled Gauze, further absorbing blood and saliva.
- On the other hand, in minor abrasions, a regular sterile gauze pad may be sufficient to absorb blood before applying the final dressing.
Since accidents such as burns, bruises, or cuts keep happening all year round, clinics stack up Sterile Gauzes of numerous sizes and forms.
Similarly, paramedical personnel typically carry such first-aid kits for the same purposes.
Other Items like scissors, medical tape, and fastening clips are also used in conjunction with Sterile Gauze.
What is Non-Sterile Gauze?
Non-Sterile Gauze usually represents bandages, and they have a tighter weave than sterilized ones. Therefore, it is always advisable to keep individually-packed pieces of Sterilize Gauze and Non-Sterilize Gauze at home for primary care.
Sterilized Gauze for wounds/ cuts.
Non-Sterilized Gauze for the bandaging purpose.
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