Moist wound treatment proved to be very effective in this purpose and is also of principal importance during subsequent wound conditioning and epithelisation. The generally enhanced absorbent power of moist dressings supports accelerated wound cleansing. Furthermore, desiccation of the wound can be avoided during the whole healing process, that would otherwise inhibit proliferation of new cells or rather cause cell destruction. The most simple type of a moist wound dressing is a gauze swab soaked with physiological saline solution or Ringer's solution. It is, however, at the same time the most problematic type.
Swabs tend to dry out rather quickly and adhere to the wound.
During dressing replacements newly formed cells are stripped off along with the fabric, even wetting of the desiccated gauze just before removal cannot revitalise the cells. Maintaining the gauze swab at a permanently stable moisture level is, in addition, very time-consuming and requires frequent changes of the dressings, every two to four hours, even at night. A considerable improvement not only in the sense of efficiency, but also concerning practicability of moist wound treatment are the so-called hydroactive wound dressings, such as gel forming calcium alginate swabs, hydrocolloids, and hydrogels. They allow problem-free maintenance of permanent moist wound conditions and facilitate good drainage of wound exudates through their suction power. Hydrocolloids and hydrogels also promote formation of new capillaries and sprouting of blood vessels into the wound area.