Cleaning simple wounds: healing by secondary intention

Wound cleansing should create an optimal healing environment by removing excess debris, exudates, foreign and necrotic material. Although the primary aim is not to remove bacteria, reducing the number of bacteria as a consequence can be beneficial and can help promote healing (Falanga, 2000). During healing, a continual process of change takes place at the wound bed (Falanga, 2000). It is most important to understand the stages of wound healing so that an accurate assessment of the wound can be made.