[Treatment of a contaminated wound]

Cleaning of wounds is considered as the most important part of the local treatment. A contaminated wound is conceived as a poorly healing one, and cleaning has been a natural part of the local treatment already prior to the understanding of wound healing mechanisms on the cellular level. Modern systematic wound treatment comprises of four sectors: cleaning of the wound, inflammation control, management of humidity balance, and supporting of the growth of new epithelium. Wounds received outdoors, particularly in the summer, are often contaminated, whereby special attention should be paid on the primary care.