DEBRIDEMENT
©
2014
MA
Healthcar
e
Ltd
This article is reprinted from the British Journal of Nursing, 2014 (Tissue Viability Supplement), Vol 23, No 12
Understanding methods
of wound debridement
Abstract
Autolytic debridement describes the body’s natural method of
wound-bed cleansing, helping it to prepare the wound bed for
healing. In acute wounds, autolytic debridement occurs automatically
and often does not require intervention, as during the inflammatory
stage of a wound, neutrophils and macrophages digest and removes
devitalised tissue, cell debris and contaminants, clearing the
wound of any cellular barriers to healing. In chronic wounds, by
