Which types of gauze are typically used in different kinds of healthcare simulations?

 

In healthcare simulation, gauze is used to mimic real-life clinical situations involving wound care, bleeding control, and surgical procedures. The types of gauze typically used include:

  1. Plain (Non-impregnated) Gauze:
    • Usually 4 × 4 or 2 × 2 sterile pads.
    • Used for general wound dressing practice and to simulate bandaging or wound packing.
  2. Hemostatic Gauze (Simulated or Real):
    • Mimics products like QuikClot or Celox.
    • Used in trauma simulations, especially for training in hemorrhage control techniques like wound packing.
  3. Petrolatum (Petroleum) Gauze:
    • Used to simulate non-adherent wound dressings, often in burn care scenarios.
    • Often referred to as Vaseline® gauze; the most common type of gauze used to seal a chest tube insertion site.
  4. Rolled Gauze:
    • Used for wrapping wounds or creating realistic moulage (mock injuries).
    • Also helps hold simulated wounds or moulage materials in place.
  5. Impregnated Gauze (Simulated):
    • Sometimes soaked in fake blood or other fluids for realism.
    • Used in bleeding simulations or to demonstrate dressing changes in infected or draining wounds.
    • Can also be soaked in anti-infection agents which also reduce adhesion during removal. This type also promotes faster wound healing with minimal scarring.
  6. Synthetic or Reusable Training Gauze:
    • Specifically manufactured for repeated use in simulation settings.
    • Often more durable than clinical gauze and used in skills trainers or task trainers.

Pocket Nurse® stocks a wide range of gauze types, applicable for many types of learning scenarios. Visit PocketNurse.com to learn more.