Principles of wound cleansing

Cleansing the wound of necrotic tissue, excess wound exudate, dressing residue and metabolic wastes from the wound surface is essential for optimum healing. Wound cleansing involves using an appropriate solution and an adequate mechanical force. Every effort should be made to use biocompatible cleansing solution with the minimal mechanical force. The objective is to adequately cleanse the wound while preventing any unnecessary chemical or mechanical trauma to the wound surface. By utilizing the Clinical Model for Wound Cleansing, the clinician can implement an effective wound cleansing protocol. Further research is needed to show the efficacy of wound cleansing procedures and to demonstrate the correlation between adequate wound cleansing and wound healing outcomes.