The cost of wound debridement: A Canadian perspective

Abstract

Debridement is integral to wound bed preparation by removing devitalised tissue, foreign material, senescent cells, phenotypically abnormal/dysfunctional cells (cellular burden) and bacteria sequestrum (biofilm). While the body of evidence to substantiate the benefits of debridement is growing, little is known about the cost-effectiveness of each debridement method. The purpose of this analysis was to compare cost-effectiveness of various debridement methods and clinical outcomes to help inform clinicians and policy makers of the cost-effectiveness associated with the various types of therapies and the impact they can have on the Canadian health care system. Results indicated that sharp debridement was the most cost-effective followed by enzymatic debridement method.