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This page describes products and general use; it is not medical advice.
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Short answer: a compression dressing is a wrap of elasticized material, a strip or a tube, applied to support and press on a body part. In the United States, FDA lists the product name “dressing, compression” under product code MHW and regulates it as an elastic bandage: Class I, exempt from premarket notification. It is used by clinic staff, first-aid and trauma teams, and wound and vascular care teams, and bought by the supply managers who stock them.
What is a compression dressing?
A compression dressing is a device that applies sustained pressure to part of the body. The regulatory definition in 21 CFR 880.5075 (checked 2026-10-30) calls an elastic bandage “a device consisting of either a long flat strip or a tube of elasticized material” that is “used to support and compress a part of a patient’s body.” FDA’s classification database (checked 2026-10-30) uses the product name “dressing, compression” for the same regulation, so the two terms point to the same device class.
In everyday supply language the phrase also covers related items: a pad held in place by a wrap, or a layered system of padding and bandages. Those are described below. For the plain elastic wrap itself, see what is an elastic bandage; for the difference between a dressing and a bandage, see dressing vs bandage.
How a compression dressing is built
The federal definition names one building block: elasticized material, supplied either as a long flat strip or as a tube. Everything else is a choice of the manufacturer, set out in its instructions for use. Multilayer systems combine several bandage layers; the consensus paper cited below asks that such systems be described by the number of layers and the components used to make the final system.
Compression dressing types
The table lists only forms that the sources below describe.
| Type | What it is | Key difference | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elastic strip | A long flat strip of elasticized material | Wrapped around the body part; the regulatory definition covers it | 21 CFR 880.5075(a) |
| Elastic tube | A tube of elasticized material | Slipped over the body part rather than wrapped | 21 CFR 880.5075(a) |
| Composite (multilayer) system | A bandage built from more than one layer and component | Described by its layers and components as well as its pressure and stiffness | Dermatologic Surgery 2008;34(5):600-9 |
Related products with their own pages include the short stretch bandage, the cohesive wrap covered in what is Coban, and shaped garments such as the post-surgical compression garment.
How FDA classifies a compression dressing
This is the fact most product pages leave out. FDA’s product classification entry for code MHW (checked 2026-10-30) gives the device name “dressing, compression,” the regulation description “Elastic bandage,” Device Class 1 and regulation number 880.5075. It is marked 510(k) exempt and not eligible for third-party review.
- Class I (general controls). 21 CFR 880.5075(b) classifies the elastic bandage as Class I.
- Premarket notification. The device is exempt from 510(k), subject to the limitations in 21 CFR 880.9.
- Quality system. The device is exempt from the part 820 requirements except those for records and complaint files. FDA’s entry adds the condition “as long as the device is not labeled or otherwise represented as sterile.”
For how classes and exemptions work in general, see FDA medical device classification, 510(k) and PMA.
How to compare compression dressings
A consensus paper, “Classification of compression bandages: practical aspects” (Dermatologic Surgery 2008;34(5):600-9, abstract checked 2026-10-30), reports that there is a lack of agreement over classification and confusion over the terms elastic, inelastic and stiffness. It proposes four descriptors, shortened to P-LA-C-E:
| Descriptor | What to ask for |
|---|---|
| Pressure | The subbandage pressure range, which the paper recommends measuring in the medial gaiter area |
| Layers | The number of layers of bandage material applied |
| Components | The components used to create the final bandage system |
| Elastic properties | The stiffness of the final bandage system |
The paper came from an expert meeting that included members from medical professions and from companies that make compression products. A product sheet that states these four items is easier to compare than one that says only “elastic” or “high compression.”
Safe use and handling basics
- Use the product as its instructions for use describe. The manufacturer’s labeling, not this page, governs sizing, application and wear time.
- Whether a given compression dressing suits a particular person or wound is a clinical decision for a licensed clinician.
- If a dressing is labeled or represented as sterile, FDA’s quality-system exemption is stated for devices that are not labeled or otherwise represented as sterile (see classification above).
Common mistakes
- Treating “elastic” and “stiff” as opposites. The consensus paper names confusion over elastic, inelastic and stiffness as a core problem and recommends classifying by the stiffness of the final system.
- Describing a layered system by one component. Composite bandages should be reported with their number of layers and components.
- Comparing products without a pressure range. The paper recommends reporting the subbandage pressure range.
- Assuming the name settles the class. The FDA name “dressing, compression” maps to the elastic bandage regulation, not to a wound-contact dressing.
Frequently asked questions
What is a compression dressing?
A compression dressing is an elasticized strip or tube used to support and compress part of the body. FDA files it as “dressing, compression” (product code MHW) under the elastic bandage regulation, 21 CFR 880.5075.
What are the types of compression dressing?
The federal definition covers elastic strips and elastic tubes. Layered systems that combine several bandages are classed as composite bandages and are described by pressure, layers, components and elastic properties.
Is a compression dressing a medical device?
Yes. FDA lists it as a Class I device that is exempt from premarket notification (checked 2026-10-30).
Is a compression dressing the same as a wound dressing?
Not by FDA’s classification. The product code belongs to the elastic bandage regulation. For wound-contact products see what is a wound dressing.
Sources
- eCFR, 21 CFR 880.5075, Elastic bandage, checked 2026-10-30.
- FDA, Product Classification database, product code MHW, checked 2026-10-30.
- Dermatologic Surgery review: Classification of compression bandages: practical aspects. Dermatologic Surgery 2008;34(5):600-9 (abstract), checked 2026-10-30.
