A miniature, flat, sterile compress designed for external use. It is typically very small (e.g., a square or rectangular piece of less than 1.25 cm/0.5 inch sides) and made of cotton, gauze, or felt. It is used for topical application of medications, for mechanical protection, or to absorb discharged matter from wounds, and/or to improve dressing retention. Dedicated devices are available to apply drugs on the skin (e.g., erythromycin for acne treatment) and on the eyes (e.g., to deliver mydriatics). This is a single-use device.