Principles of Basic Wound Care

• Principles of basic wound care include cleaning, debriding, dressing, and protecting the wound
• Cleaning the wound involves removing debris, bacteria, and dead tissue from the wound bed using sterile saline or water, antiseptic solutions, or wound cleansers
• Debriding the wound involves removing necrotic tissue that may impair healing or increase infection risk using mechanical, enzymatic, autolytic, or surgical methods
• Dressing the wound involves applying an appropriate dressing that maintains a moist wound environment, absorbs excess exudate, prevents infection, protects the wound from trauma, and facilitates healing
• Protecting the wound involves covering the dressing with a secondary dressing or bandage that secures the dressing in place, prevents contamination or leakage, and provides comfort and insulation