Faster and more complete wound healing was achieved with more frequent debridement regardless of wound type, size, or duration, researchers found.
Weekly or even more frequent debridement — the removal of necrotic tissue and foreign bodies from a wound that isn’t healing on its own — resulted in shorter healing times for all wound types compared with less frequent debridement (P<0.001), according to Scott Covington, MD, of Healogics in Jacksonville, Fla., and colleagues.
Higher frequency debridement improved healing outcomes with shorter healing times, while longer intervals between debridement of wounds were associated with longer treatment times and slower healing resulting in a hazard ratio of 4.26 (95 percent CI 4.20-4.31). These results were consistent with those found in previous studies, the researchers reported online in JAMA Dermatology.
“The more frequent the debridements, the better the healing outcome,” Covington and colleagues wrote.
In an associated commentary, Elizabeth Lebrun, MD, and Robert S. Kirsner, MD, PhD, of the University of Miami, suggested an integrated approach to wound care.
Education and training for proper debridement practices should not be limited to physicians but should include general staff members in order to make the flow of wound care more efficient in dermatology practices, Kirsner and Lebrun indicated.
