Abstract
Hydrotherapy and irrigation are best used on wounds with thick exudates,
slough, or necrotic debris, and should not be used when the ulcer already has a clean
granulating base. Potential drawbacks of these treatments include dehydration of the
wound bed and maceration of surrounding tissues (51). In general, there are no studies indicating that whirlpool or irrigation actually enhance wound healing,
although many clinicians would argue that they are helpful.