Debridement and Wound Care: Important Terms to Know

Conservative sharp debridement: The removal of nonviable tissue from the wound bed through the use of sharp instruments at the bedside or in the clinic.

Debridement: The removal of nonviable tissue, debris, and biofilm from the wound bed.

Enzymatic debridement: The removal of nonviable tissue from the wound bed through the use of an enzymatic agent to liquefy this nonviable tissue.

Eschar: Thick, leathery nonviable tissue that occurs only in full-thickness wounds. Eschar may also be loose, wet and draining, boggy, edematous, and/or red if it becomes unstable.

Nonselective debridement: The removal of nonviable tissue while also potentially removing or damaging viable tissue.

Pulsatile lavage: Delivery of irrigation fluids or topical antimicrobials in an effort to loosen necrotic tissues so that they can be easily wiped away. This is a form of mechanical debridement.

Selective debridement: The removal of only nonviable tissue without damaging viable tissues.

Slough: Nonviable tissue made of protein, fibrin strands, and dead cells that naturally connect in the wound bed. Slough can be thin and stringy or thick and fibrinous, and it can be yellow, tan, gray, green, or brown.

Surgical sharp debridement: The removal of nonviable tissue from the wound bed through the use of sharp instruments in the operating room.

Wound bed preparation: Preparation of the wound to heal by removing nonviable tissues, cleansing the wound, managing moisture, and managing the wound edges.

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