Management of Minor Acute Cutaneous Wounds: Importance of Wound Healing in a Moist Environment

Moist wound care has been established as standard therapy for chronic wounds with impaired healing. Healing in
acute wounds, in particular in minor superficial acute wounds – which indeed are much more numerous than chronic
wounds – is often taken for granted because it is assumed that in those wounds normal phases of wound healing
should run per se without any problems. But minor wounds such as small cuts, scraps or abrasions also need
proper care to prevent complications, in particular infections. Local wound care with minor wounds consists of
thorough cleansing with potable tap water or normal saline followed by the application of an appropriate dressing
corresponding to the principles of moist wound treatment. In the treatment of smaller superficial wounds, it appears
advisable to limit the choice of dressing to just a few products that fulfil the principles of moist wound management
and are easy to use. Hydroactive colloid gels combining the attributes of hydrocolloids and hydrogels thus being
appropriate for dry and exuding wounds appear especially suitable for this purpose – although there is still a lack of
data from systematic studies on the effectiveness of these preparations.