Disclosed are methods for using open-celled polymeric foam wound dressings made from high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs). The wound dressings have a high capillary pressure and may reduce or obviate the need for treatments like negative pressure wound treatment (NPWT). Also disclosed are structures for HIPE foam wound dressings. The HIPE foam wound dressings typically include at least two layers of HIPE foam with different, but homogeneous, average cell sizes. The average cell sizes form a cell size gradient, with cell size typically decreasing from the front or face layer of foam toward the back layer of foam. The back layer of foam may be a collapsed layer, while the front layer or layers may be expanded. Compared with HIPE foams for other absorbent applications, the wound dressing foams may be higher in hydratable salts and higher in initial moisture levels.

The invention relates to the use of a semi-occlusive flexible flat wound dressing having a wound contacting layer consisting of an elastomer or a thermoplastic elastomer component in which hydrophilic polymers are embedded, for treating contaminated wounds in animals, in particular in the region of the body limbs.

The present invention relates to a sponge dressing for treating wounds comprised of a polymer sponge containing a plurality of antimicrobial dyes with at least one dye being gram positive and at least one other dye being gram negative and a silicon adhesive secured to a sponge surface. The sponge dressing can be exposed initially to gamma radiation and later sterilized by ethylene oxide or alternatively it can be sterilized by ethylene oxide and later irradiated by gamma radiation. The sponge dressing has a morphology characterized by an average pore throat diameter of 0.5-500 m and a porosity ranging from about 60% to about 99.5%. The sponge dressing can also contain at least one biofilm reducing agent, at least one chelating agent and an ionic and non-ionic surfactant.