Both Wet and Moist Wound Environments Accelerate Cutaneous Healing

Abstract

Since the early reports on skin wound treatment, showing that skin wounds epithelialize more rapidly under moist conditions than under dry [1, 2], a variety of water and gas permeable dressings have been developed. The principle findings of healing in a moist environment are acceleration of epithelialization and prevention of the progression of wound depth that is observed in a dry environment. In a previous study we have shown that if a skin wound is continuously kept in a liquid environment consisting of saline and cell culture concentrations of penicillin and streptomycin, eschar formation was reduced and the time of epithelialization accelerated as compared to air exposed wounds [3]. In this study we have directly compared three different conditions under which porcine partial excisional wounds can heal: Wet (saline in an occlusive vinyl chamber), moist (hydrocolloid) and dry (air exposure under gauze dressing).