Wound care dressing product attributes

Wound dressing records are hard to keep accurate because size has two meanings. A bordered dressing has an overall size and a smaller absorbent pad, and suppliers often publish one without saying which. Clinicians choose by wound coverage, and US billing codes for many dressings depend on pad area, so a record carrying only "4 x 4" cannot answer either question.

Performance claims are just as uneven. Absorbency is reported from different test methods, wear time is stated as a maximum under stated conditions, and antimicrobial content is named in varying detail. Shapes such as sacral or heel dressings behave differently from squares of the same area, and packaging moves from single sterile units to boxes and cases, each with its own identifier.

A buyer needs the dressing type, pad and overall size, border and contact layer, exudate level, wear time, sterility and pack size. Each of those, with coding and latex statements taken from the manufacturer's labeling, belongs in its own field, so a substitute can be checked against the original on the same terms.

The wound care attribute template

18 candidate fields in 4 groups, ordered the way a record gets built: identify the item, capture its specifications, then record fit and the evidence behind any claim. 10 are marked Core: without them the item cannot be identified or filtered. Example values show the expected format only; they do not describe a real SKU.

Identity

Which exact item, variant and pack this record describes.

Check before use: Preserve leading zeros and punctuation, validate against the manufacturer record, and check the GTIN check digit and packaging level before linking.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Manufacturer Part Number manufacturer_part_number	Identifier	Core	FD-4466-SB
GTIN (Each / Box / Case) gtin_each_box_case	Identifier	Core	10841234644663
UDI-DI / GUDID Listing udi_di_gudid_listing	Identifier	Channel / evidence	00841234644666

Technical specifications

Measured or rated values that must travel with their unit and test conditions.

Check before use: Store the number and unit separately. Convert only when the source unit and test conditions are known.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Pad Size pad_size	Text · in	Core	4 in x 4 in
Overall Dimensions overall_dimensions	Text · in	Core	6 in x 6 in
Free Swell Absorptive Capacity free_swell_absorptive_capacity	Number · g/100 cm²	Buyer decision	12
Maximum Wear Time maximum_wear_time	Number · days	Buyer decision	7

Selection attributes

The type, material and option choices buyers filter and compare on.

Check before use: Map supplier wording to a governed vocabulary only after checking the source text and which variant it applies to.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Dressing Type dressing_type	Controlled list	Core	Foam
Shape shape	Controlled list	Core	Square
Border / Adhesive Type border_adhesive_type	Controlled list	Core	Silicone adhesive border
Wound Contact Layer wound_contact_layer	Controlled list	Core	Soft silicone
Sterility / Sterilization Method sterility_sterilization_method	Controlled list	Core	Sterile (ethylene oxide)
Selling Unit / Pack Configuration selling_unit_pack_configuration	Text	Core	Box of 10; case of 100 (10 bx)
Exudate Level exudate_level	Controlled list	Buyer decision	Moderate to heavy
Antimicrobial Agent antimicrobial_agent	Controlled list	Buyer decision	Silver (ionic)

Evidence & compliance

Listings, standards, classifications and origin claims that need a document behind them.

Check before use: Link the manufacturer document or label with its edition or date. Never copy a certification from a neighboring SKU.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
HCPCS Code hcpcs_code	Identifier	Channel / evidence	A6212
Latex Statement latex_statement	Controlled list	Channel / evidence	Not made with natural rubber latex
Country of Origin country_of_origin	Controlled list	Channel / evidence	Mexico

Normalize supplier values

The same value arrives in many spellings. Map each raw string to one governed value, and keep the raw text beside it so a reviewer can see what the supplier actually wrote.

Often missing from supplier files

These fields are commonly absent from price lists and basic feeds, even though the information usually exists in a datasheet, label or installation manual. Treat an empty value as a request for evidence, not as permission to fill it from a similar model.

• Pad Size (exclusive of adhesive border)
• Absorbency Test Method
• Maximum Wear Time
• HCPCS Code
• Latex Statement (governed wording)

Questions the record must answer

Buyers and counter-sales reps choosing wound care ask questions like these. Each one needs a specific field, sourced for the exact variant.

• Is 4 x 4 the pad size or the size including the border?
• Will this foam dressing stay on for a week on a heavily draining wound?
• Is there a silver antimicrobial version of this dressing?
• Is each dressing individually sterile packed, and how many come in a box?

From supplier file to record

1. Resolve identity first. Link the supplier SKU, manufacturer part number and packaging identifiers without merging distinct variants or pack sizes.
2. Extract with the source attached. Pull values from rows, tables and datasheets, keeping the raw text, unit and page or row reference.
3. Map to your classification. Assign the ETIM, ECLASS, UNSPSC or internal class your company licenses, and keep the supplier's original terms.
4. Review, sync and watch. Hold conflicts and safety-related values for a category expert, write approved values to ERP or PIM, and recheck when the supplier sends a new file.

For the full method, see how to build a category attribute template and the category catalog gap audit.

FAQ