What is a Gauze Pad?
A gauze pad is a piece of gauze fabric used to guard and cushion a wound, to absorb blood or other fluids, to apply ointments, or to rub cleansing fluids, such as rubbing alcohol or iodine, to a wound or site of incision. Gauze is a light, thin, loosely woven fabric commonly made of cotton or a synthetic fiber, though it can be made from other materials, such as silk, as well. Most gauze dressings are non-adherent and may be dry, moist, or impregnated. Sterile pads are used for many medical purposes, especially on open wounds, but non-sterile pads may be used for cushioning, cleaning, and absorbing areas less at risk of infection. A gauze pad generally has a loose open weave, where adjacent warps are twisted together across the weft, allowing fluids from the wound to be absorbed into the fibers, wicked away, or passed through into other absorbent materials in the wound’s dressing. Non-woven gauze pads’ fibers are pressed together to resemble a weave. They are arguably less absorbent, b
