Routinely cleansing wounds at every dressing change can do more harm than good if the gauze swabs disrupt fragile tissue growth and damage new capillaries. This article explains the circumstances in which it is appropriate to cleanse a wound. It also discusses the re-emergence of antiseptic solutions - which are becoming more popular, particularly for infected or heavily contaminated wounds - and offers guidance on when to consider using them to cleanse wounds.
Brown, A. 2018. When is wound cleansing necessary and what solution should be used? Nursing Times, 114 (9) p 40-43.