Does the use of a cleanser on skin surrounding pressure ulcers in older people promote healing?

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the use of a skin cleanser on the skin surrounding pressure ulcers helps to promote healing. METHOD: The study was conducted over a two-year period in patients with stage II or more pressure ulcers. All subjects were at least 65 years of age and resident in a long-term care hospital. During the first year, skin was cleansed with normal saline. In year two, a pH-balanced cleanser was used. The healing times for the two methods were then compared. RESULTS: Healing time was shorter in the group using the cleanser for every stage of ulcer, with an especially significant difference for stage II ulcers (p=0.002). Analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model found a 1.79-fold improvement in the healing rate of stage II ulcers when the surrounding skin was washed with the cleanser. CONCLUSION: Cleaning the surrounding skin with a cleanser rather than normal saline promotes the healing of pressure ulcers.