A new burn is essentially sterile and it
is important to keep it clean and moist
to promote the development of healthy
granulation tissue. To minimise the risk of
microbial contamination, all wounds should
undergo some form of cleansing to remove
foreign bodies, soluble debris, necrotic
tissue or slough, all of which can become
a focus for infection1,39,53. Irrigation is the
preferred method for cleansing wounds,
and various solutions can be used, including
normal saline or warm tap water. Mild soap
may also be used. Topical wound irrigation
solutions containing topical antiseptics (e.g.
polyhexamethylene biguanide [PHMB]) can
be considered to maintain a low bacterial
load, reducing the risk of infection55, 56 and
improving time to healing55