Wound debridement is considered by most wound experts to be a key aspect of wound management. Debridement facilitates several processes that are essential for wound healing, including the removal of dead and necrotic tissue. This “biological burden” is removed to control bacterial colonization, prevent wound infection and to allow the practitioner to properly visualize and assess the full extent of the wound and involved structures, so as to guide further treatment, optimize wound dressings and set the stage for more advanced treatments, such as engineered skin substitutes.

Sharp debridement not only promotes wound healing by removing impeding dead tissue and bacterial biofilm; it is also clear that debridement “resets” cellular signaling proteins to the acute phase of wound healing, allowing wound healing to proceed in a more optimal fashion. 

When debridement is performed on appropriate patients in a timely fashion, wound healing can proceed much more rapidly, leading to better outcomes, higher patient satisfaction, and lower overall wound care supply costs. When performed by appropriately trained providers, debridement can be effective and efficient, while imposing little overhead on facility operations, or additional burdens to caregivers. 

A very large retrospective analysis assessed wound outcomes in relation to frequency of wound debridement. This study, by Wilcox, Carter and Covington, looked at 154 644 patients with 312 744 wounds of all types over a 4 year period in 525 clinics, and demonstrated clear evidence of improvement in wound outcomes with increasing frequency of debridement (P > 0.001), and concluded “The more frequent the debridement, the better the healing outcome.” 

At WoundCentrics, we believe that appropriate debridement is merely one aspect of a comprehensive wound care program, but a very important one. Effective, timely debridement can mean the difference between excellent outcomes and high patient satisfaction, and merely average or even sub-optimal outcomes. That is why we train and certify our providers in this key aspect of wound care.

David Jones, FNP
Vice President of Clinical Services
WoundCentrics