Trials were eligible for inclusion if the solutions compared were used specifically for wound cleansing. For the purpose of this review, wound cleansing is defined as: “the use of fluids to remove loosely adherent debris and necrotic tissue from the wound surface” (Hellewell 1997).
All trials evaluating the following comparisons were eligible for inclusion in the review:
• tap water compared with no cleansing
• tap water compared with sterile normal saline
• water (distilled and/or cooled boiled water) compared with sterile normal saline
• tap water compared with cooled boiled water
• tap water compared with any other solution.