title: Tap Water Versus Sterile Normal Saline in Wound Swabbing: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The use of tap water as a wound-cleansing agent is becoming more common in clinical practice, especially in community settings. The aim of this study was to test whether there are differences in wound infection and wound healing rates when wounds are cleansed with tap water or sterile normal saline.
  
  
  METHODS
  Double-blinded randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were recruited from the community nursing service of a local hospital in Hong Kong. The target sample included subjects who were aged 18 years or more, and receiving chronic or acute wound care treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were randomly assigned to wound cleansing with tap water (experimental group) or sterile normal saline (control group). Wound assessment was conducted at each home visit, and an assessment of wound size was conducted once a week. The main outcome measures, occurrence of a wound infection and wound healing, were assessed over a period of 6 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-two subjects (11 subjects in each group) with 30 wounds participated in the study; 16 wounds were managed with tap water cleansing and 14 were randomly allocated to management with the sterile normal saline group. Analysis revealed no significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the proportions of wound infection and wound healing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Study findings indicate that tap water is a safe alternative to sterile normal saline for wound cleansing in a community setting.
authors.affiliation: Mun Che Chan, MSc, Community Nursing Services, Kwong Wah Hospital, Hong Kong. Kin Cheung, PhD, School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong. Polly Leung, PhD, Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Mun Che
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Kin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: Polly
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leung
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D060766:Drinking Water; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012883:Skin Ulcer / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation; D014867:Water; D014945:Wound Healing; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water; D014867:Water; D012965:Sodium Chloride