The Types Of Medical Tape That Belong In Every First Aid Kit!

Have you ever wondered what types of medical tape belong in your first aid kit?

There are so many different types of medical tape out there, how do you know which one you need? Or which tape is waterproof? Or which tape is best for fragile skin?

What about medical tape for wound care dressings? Or trauma dressings?

Does the type of medical tape even matter?

I’ve been a Registered Nurse for almost 30 years and have used virtually every medical adhesive tape ever made… for every imaginable purpose, and on every type of skin.

I’ve got all your medical tape questions answered here. Starting with, yes, the type of medical tape you choose does matter. Because like all things, you need the right tool for the job… or in this case, the right tape for your purpose (or skin type, or how severe the injury is, or the type of bandage you need to secure).

This post is all about the different types of medical tape that belong in every first aid kit.

Medical Tape Uses

Medical tape, also called surgical tape, is used to attach a bandage over open skin. This can be from skin injuries such as cuts and scrapes (abrasions), or a still-healing incision from a surgery site.

Bandages can range anywhere from small gauze squares, to big absorbent pads for heavily draining or bleeding wounds, to non-adhesive dressings for burn wounds you don’t want the dressing sticking to, to dressings that already have antibacterials embedded inside.

Medical tape is also used to secure medical devices and tubes from accidentally getting yanked out:

Can You Put Medical Tape Directly On Wounds?

Since the function of medical tape is to keep a (bandage) dressing in place over open skin that is vulnerable to infection, it is not intended to go directly over open wounds.

Which open skin is susceptible to infection, you might wonder?

All open skin is at risk of getting infected. Yes. Think about it.

Your skin is your biggest defense against allowing bacteria from filthy foreign matter entrance inside the body. So, if the skin is left open (i.e. from uncovered wounds, or unsealed surgical incisions), it’s an open door invitation for all germs.  

It might seem like a good idea to cover an open wound with tape if that’s all you have on hand…. but you risk re-opening your wound once you try to peel the tape off. Or re-damaging your tissues by pulling the sticky adhesive away from or out of the flesh. Ouch.

Types Of Medical Tape

• Micropore tape, also known as paper tape, is a good general-purpose tape for simple wound dressings. Although sticky, paper tape is best for thin, fragile, or sensitive skin and is what usually comes in commercial pre-made first aid kits. You do not need scissors to cut this tape, and it has a good surface if you need to write notes on it.
• Medipore tape, also known as cloth tape, is a flexible tape. This tape is best when used in an area where movement or swelling (from infection, muscle, or bone injury) is expected. Although more durable than paper tape, cloth tape can also be cut without scissors and can be used in both home and hospital settings to help keep medical devices securely in place.
• Durapore tape, also known as silk tape, is the stickiest cloth and most durable fabric tape. This is recommended for those medical devices that need the strongest hold, but not for those long-term jobs where wound healing and dressing changes are expected to last forever… it’s just too traumatizing to the skin every time this tape has to be pulled off. 
• Transpore tape is a transparent, water-resistant, plastic tape. Because it’s water-resistant, the adhesive is extra sticky… so not a fabulous choice if your dressing changes are going to be frequent, over the long term, or on thin, fragile skin.

Medical Tape For Sensitive Skin

The best medical tape for sensitive skin is the tape that doesn’t need to stick to (and be removed from) the skin.

A self-adhering elastic bandage super-sticks to itself, and not the skin. And even though this sticks like glue to itself, it’s effortlessly removed just by unraveling it. 

OMG, this was a game-changer for nurses everywhere… I buy rolls of these in bulk and have them in all of our first aid and trauma kits. They easily rip without the need for scissors and are perfect for animals, hairy, wet, sweaty, or bloody people.

And to recap from earlier: paper tape is the best adhesive tape for sensitive skin… if you need to have tape stuck directly to the skin, that is. Or, if you need a small strip of tape here and there to hold a dressing down just enough until it can get more securely wrapped.

Medical Adhesive-Related Skin Injury (MARSI)

This might sound like a lot of extra care given to tape selection, but were you aware that skin injuries that arise from the misuse of medical adhesive tapes are a thing?

Medical Adhesive-Related Skin Injury, or MARSI, is redness left behind more than 30 minutes after removing the medical tape or adhesive or another resulting skin abnormality such as a blister, skin erosion, or skin tear.

Medical Tape For Wounds

For severe wounds, an injury where swelling or infection is possible, or for situations where you have multiple wounds that need attention all at once, the velcro-closure elastic bandage wraps are your answer. You should already have plenty of these on hand (I have the 2, 4 & 6-inch wraps) for splinting muscle sprains or unstable bone fractures, but they are indispensable for wound dressings too.

To boot, these elastic wraps, when wrapped tightly, can provide an amazing pressure dressing for traumatic or actively bleeding wounds in addition to acting as the “tape” that holds those gauze bandages in place:

At home, I also buy these in bulk and use them interchangeably with those self-adhering wraps from above. No scissors, sticky tape, or closure clips needed!

Did I mention these are a must-have for all first aid and trauma kits?

These elastic wraps are most commonly known by the ACE brand name but any generic wrap can do this job… just be sure it’s the velcro closure for maximum ease of use and surface area of securement.  

Medical Tape For Gauze

The type of medical tape best for holding down gauze dressings would be either paper tape (Micropore) or plastic tape (Transpore), both readily available in the first aid aisle of any drug store. 

Unless you need the big guns tape for your gauze (why would you?), stay away from the silk, or Durapore, tape… even not-fragile skin can be harmed by overuse or misuse of this tape.

How To Use Medical Tape

Who better to illustrate the proper way to apply medical tape than the makers themselves?

(Screenshot Image of 3M’s Medical Tape Application Guide – Download It Here)

• When applying tape, make sure to get all the gaps and wrinkles out of the tape to keep moisture from getting trapped under the tape, inviting bacteria growth and infection. 
• Don’t completely encircle a limb with tape… remember to allow for swelling and use an elastic bandage when dealing with injuries or infected or abscessed wounds (see “Medical Tape For Wounds”, above).
• If tissue swelling starts, lift the tape up to loosen it under the expanding skin, or the skin might get pulled too taut and tear.

While we’re following the manufacturer’s recommendations, 3M’s tips for tape removal can’t be outdone: 

(Screenshot Image of 3M’s Medical Tape Application Guide – Download It Here)

If you’d like to see another post on first aid kit contents, see my post on The Boat Emergency Kit Essentials You Can’t Leave Home Without, here. 

This post was all about the types of medical tape that belong in every first aid kit.