Vacuum wound dressing

1. A vacuum wound dressing system for covering a wound bed comprising:

a wound contact layer comprising a non-woven fibrous blend or fibrous material consisting essentially of gel-forming chemically-derivatized cellulosic fiber that forms a cohesive gel and adheres to the wound site when wetted by wound exudate in use;

a source of vacuum situated to be separated from the wound bed by the wound contact layer; and

a vacuum sealing layer covering the wound contact layer and adapted to retain relative vacuum in the wound contact layer;

wherein there is negative pressure exerted by the source of vacuum on the wound contact layer and on the vacuum sealing layer when the vacuum wound dressing system is in use.

2. The vacuum wound dressing system of claim 1 , further comprising: a source of irrigating fluid situated to deliver irrigating fluid to the wound bed.

3. The vacuum wound dressing system of claim 1 , wherein the vacuum sealing layer comprises as an outer layer a foam layer.

4. The vacuum wound dressing system of claim 3 , further comprising: a source of irrigating fluid situated to deliver irrigating fluid to the wound bed.

5. The vacuum wound dressing system of claim 1 , wherein the wound contact layer is essentially missing a non-gelling, foam layer.

6. The vacuum wound dressing system of claim 1 , wherein the wound contact layer further comprises silver.

7. The vacuum wound dressing system of claim 1 , wherein the wound contact layer further comprises an odor absorbent layer with fibrous material for wicking liquid away from the odor absorbent layer.