Occlusive dressing

An occlusive dressing is an air- and water-tight trauma dressing used in first aid. These dressings are generally made with a waxy coating so as to provide a total seal, and as a result do not have the absorbent properties of gauze pads. They are typically used to treat open, or "sucking," chest wounds (open pneumothorax) to alleviate or prevent a tension pneumothorax (a serious complication of a simple pneumothorax). They are also used in conjunction with a moist sterile dressing for intestinal evisceration.