debride

Debride is a medical term meaning to remove dead, damaged, or devitalized tissue and foreign material from a wound to promote healing. Debridement is a standard component of wound care used for burns, surgical wounds, and chronic ulcers, and is typically performed by physicians, surgeons, or trained wound-care professionals in hospitals, clinics, or at the bedside.

Common debridement methods include surgical debridement with scalpel or scissors; mechanical methods such as irrigation or dressing changes that physically remove tissue; autolytic debridement using moisture-retentive dressings that allow the body’s own enzymes to dissolve necrotic tissue; enzymatic debridement with topical proteolytic enzymes; and biological debridement (maggot therapy), which uses live larvae to break down necrotic tissue.

Indications for debridement include the presence of nonviable tissue, necrosis, or heavy bioburden, especially when infection or nonhealing is a concern, and when preparing a wound bed for grafting or advanced therapies. The choice of method depends on wound type, vascular supply, infection status, pain tolerance, and available resources. Debridement is often part of a broader wound-care plan that also emphasizes moisture balance, infection control, and eventual closure.

Risks and considerations include pain, bleeding, and potential damage to viable tissue; anesthesia or analgesia may be needed; certain wounds or patients with bleeding disorders or poor perfusion may require careful assessment or deferral. Debridement should be performed under sterile conditions by trained professionals, with ongoing assessment of healing progress.