Therapeutic wound and skin cleansing: Clinical evidence and recommendations

In this document, the IWII Expert Group provides evidence for therapeutic wound cleansing, informed by a comprehensive evidence review, in addition to their experiential evidence. The document was conceived through a consensus discussion within the IWII Expert Working Group. A list of inquiry questions emerging from the discussion was used to inform a targeted search of the literature to determine contemporary evidence on therapeutic wound cleansing.

The evidence was reviewed and assigned a level based on the study design and synthesised in response to the inquiry questions. Where there was limited or no evidence, the IWII Expert Working Group drew on their clinical expertise to provide the current consensus addressing issues related to therapeutic skin and wound cleansing.

The IWII expert group recommends incorporating this guidance into practice, alongside local and national guidelines. This clinical guidance extends that provided in the “Wound Infection in Clinical Practice”. The IWII Expert Working Group recommends reviewing the companion document for a comprehensive presentation of the prevention, assessment and management of wound infection, in which therapeutic wound cleansing plays a key role. therapeutic wound cleansing plays a key role.