Cleaning Wounds with Water is Better Than Using Antiseptics
Many people are used to cleaning wounds with antiseptics, but a study revealed that washing wounds with soap and running water is more effective than washing it with antiseptic solution.
The study involved 191 patients aged six months to 18 years who were treated due to skin infection at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore, Maryland, between 2006 and 2009.
The study was initially aimed to compare how fast two antibiotics treat infections of the skin. However, the study actually found that cleaning the wound under running water will accelerate the healing process.
Within a week, 95 percent of them recovered completely, regardless of the antiseptic they receive. The researchers concludes that the secrets of the success healing is in the cleaning process of the wounds, not the antiseptic used.
Study’s lead author, Dr. Aaron Chen, revealed that the cleaning and drying of the area of infection makes healing faster and reduce the persistent infection.
Dr Chen added that keeping the wound clean is always the basis for treatment of skin infections. However, in recent years doctors have been prescribing more expensive antibiotics which leads to the risk of drug resistance.
Pediatrics Dr. George Siberry says, “Many physicians assume that antibiotics are always necessary for bacterial infections, but there is evidence that shows that it is not necessary,” he said, according to the Dailymail.
In order for it to be more valid, researchers said that further study is needed to compare patients treated with placebo and those that uses antibiotics along with cleaning and drying the wound.
Tagged with: antiseptic solution, antiseptics skin infection, Bacterial Infections, drug resistance, washing wounds, wound cleaning,
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