Focus | Clinical Reprinted from AJGP Vol. 51, No. 11, November 2022 827 © The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners 2022 Sankar N Sinha, Belinda Free, Oliver Ladlow Background Acute open wounds constitute a significant part of general practice. With an expanding global market of dressing products, selection of wound dressings remains an area of concern among doctors entering general practice. Objective The aim of this article is to describe a practical guide for choosing appropriate dressings when treating acute open wounds in general practice. Discussion Although dressing is an essential element of standard wound care, it is important to remember that dressing alone does not heal the wound. Judicious selection of dressings based on wound characteristics, physical properties of dressings and their costs, shelf life and availability are important for delivering appropriate care towards timely healing of acute wounds. A SUPERFICIAL OPEN WOUND with loss of epithelial lining is described as an ulcer. However, the words ‘open wound’ and ‘ulcer’ are often used interchangeably. In this article, an acute wound/ulcer is defined as an injury to the skin that occurs suddenly following an accident or surgical injury and is expected to heal through an orderly and timely reparative process. 1,2 Patients with acute wounds of the skin (eg minor cuts, lacerations, puncture wounds, skin tears, animal bites, small burns) constitute a significant proportion of patients who present to general practice. Patients with diabetes may present with small and minor skin breakdowns, as these minor wounds have the potential to become serious and require attention to address systemic issues as well. The appropriate treatment of acute wounds involves avoiding deterrents to normal healing and preventing complications that may lead to conversion to a chronic wound, 2 which is a major burden on the healthcare system. In Australia, the estimated annual cost was $3 billion in 2014. 3 Teaching of wound care, including selection of wound dressings, as part of the undergraduate medical curriculum occurs in some medical schools 4 and remains an area of concern among doctors entering general practice. 5 The focus of this article is to provide a practical overview for general practitioners (GPs) when choosing an appropriate dressing for acute open wounds, with the assumption that holistic assessment of the patient and the wound, and other important aspects of treatment (eg tetanus prophylaxis, need for antibiotics, wound cleansing and debridement), 6,7 have been addressed. Dressings for puncture wounds/ needlestick injuries and animal/human bites are not included here because of their complex management, often requiring non-GP specialist consultation and care. Descriptions of dressings for post-surgical wounds 6 and minor burns in general practice 8 are available in earlier issues of Australian Journal of General Practice and Australian Family Physician. Wound dressings Although dressing is an essential element of standard wound care, it is important to remember that dressing alone does not heal the wound. Ideally a wound dressing aims to promote healing or prevent further tissue damage. A good dressing accomplishes multiple goals, including providing an appropriate level of moisture and serving as a barrier to bacterial invasion. Additional benefits of an ideal dressing may include thermal insulation, debridement, enzymatic and growth factor The art and science of selecting appropriate dressings for acute open wounds in general practice