Dressing is a sterile pad or compress applied to wound in order to promote healing and protect the wound from further harm. A dressing is designed to be in direct contact with the wound, as distinguished from a bandage, which is most often used to hold a dressing in place. Many modern dressings are self adhesive. Dressing can have a number of purposes, depending on the type, severity and position of the wound, although the purposes are focused towards promoting recovery and protecting the wound from further harm.