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This page describes products and general use; it is not medical advice.
A tracheostomy dressing is the absorbent pad that sits between the skin of the neck and the flange of a tracheostomy tube. It is usually plain gauze or a foam pad. This page is for clinic staff, buyers and students who need to tell the dressing apart from the other items in a tracheostomy supply list, and to see what the published evidence says about gauze versus foam.
What a tracheostomy dressing is
A tracheostomy dressing, also called tracheostomy gauze or a stoma dressing, is a pad placed around the stoma (the opening in the neck) and underneath the tube ties. MedlinePlus describes it as the bandage (gauze dressing) between the tube and the neck: it helps catch mucus and keeps the tube from rubbing on the neck. An NHS hospital leaflet says the dressing is placed around the stoma and underneath the tracheostomy ties. Who uses it: patients and caregivers at home, and nursing and respiratory staff in hospital and long-term care.
Dressing, ties and stoma cover are different items
- Dressing: the absorbent pad against the skin, around the stoma and under the ties.
- Ties (ribbons): hold the tube in place.
- Stoma cover or bib: a cloth cover over the opening; see stoma covers and tracheostomy bibs.
- The tube itself: see what a tracheostomy tube is.
Types and variants
| Type | Description (as given in the source) | Key difference | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gauze dressing | The bandage (gauze dressing) between the tube and the neck, which helps catch mucus and keeps the tube from rubbing. | Plain woven absorbent pad. | MedlinePlus; Tanaffos 2014 |
| Foam tracheostomy dressing | Placed around the stoma and under the ties; listed in a hospital leaflet as part of the home equipment. | Described in the trial as having a soft, hydrophilic inner surface and an impermeable outer layer. | Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS leaflet; Tanaffos 2014 |
| Hydrofiber dressing | Named alongside gauze and foam as an option to absorb tracheostomy-site secretions. | Named only; the trial did not test it. | Tanaffos 2014 |
Pad sizes and cut shapes vary by manufacturer; follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use for the product in hand.
Does foam work better than gauze?
Not in the one randomized trial summarized here. In a double-blind trial of 80 intensive-care patients (aged 18 to 60, severe head injury, early tracheostomy), stoma infection occurred in 7 of 40 patients (17.5%) in the gauze group and 4 of 40 (10%) in the foam group. The difference was not statistically significant (P=0.051), and the authors concluded that absorbent foam is not superior to gauze for preventing tracheostomy-site infection. The trial was small, short (7 days) and limited to one patient group, so it does not settle the question for other settings.
Common mistakes
- Treating the dressing as the cover: the dressing sits against the skin under the ties, while a bib or cover goes over the opening.
- Mixing up the dressing with the ties that hold the tube in place.
Frequently asked questions
What is tracheostomy gauze?
It is the gauze dressing placed between a tracheostomy tube and the neck to catch mucus and reduce rubbing (MedlinePlus).
Is foam better than gauze for a tracheostomy site?
In one randomized trial of 80 patients, infection rates were 10% with foam and 17.5% with gauze, not a statistically significant difference (P=0.051).
Is a tracheostomy dressing the same as a stoma cover?
No. The dressing is the absorbent pad against the skin under the ties; a stoma cover or bib goes over the opening.
For supply lists
For where dressings sit in a wider stock list, see the long-term acute care hospital supply checklist, what a wound dressing is and what gauze is.
Sources
All sources below were checked on 2026-10-31.
- MedlinePlus, Tracheostomy care.
- Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Caring for my tracheostomy.
- Tanaffos 2014;13(2):13-19, Efficacy of Dressing with Absorbent Foam versus Dressing with Gauze in Prevention of Tracheostomy Site Infection.
