Techniques and solutions used in cleansing ulcers: a review of the literature

The ulcer is the loss of continuity of the epithelium, epidermis or mucous membrane caused by the expulsion of inflamed necrotic tissue. It is the expression of degenerative processes caused by inflammatory, infectious phenomena, circulatory disorders or tissue damage for chemical and physical causes. The treatment of a chronic skin lesion must be multidisciplinary and require the collaboration of numerous specialists, nursing staff, the patient and/or the family unit. The purpose of the review is to verify the effects of cleansing on wounds considering both the approaches adopted and the solutions used, evaluating the relative cure and infection rates of ulcers. The literature search was performed in the Pubmed and Cochrane Library databases. Randomized clinical trials and literature reviews from 2003 to 2018 were considered. 276 scientific papers have been identified. Of these, 15 studies were considered potentially eligible. After the complete reading of each work, 6 articles were finally included. The management of ulcers involves many wound care professionals who should work together to heal wounds. Specifically, cleansing is considered a routine intervention that is carried out with sterile physiological solution through the tamponade method, this is because the literature does not provide satisfactory research in the context of the use of tap water.