The effect of bacteria on leg ulcer healing.

It is a common belief that bacterial infection will delay the healing of leg ulcers, or lead to a deterioration in the wound bed or surrounding skin. Despite many years of research, however, there is still no agreement on whether this is in fact the case. This article reviews a selection of the available literature regarding the effects of bacteria on leg ulcer healing. Attempts have been made to distinguish differing levels of bacterial presence (e.g. contamination, colonization, infection), but these terms are still loosely applied and consequently ill-defined. Furthermore, the variety of treatment and assessment methods used in the various studies hampers their comparison. The article concludes that future studies should adhere to a uniform methodology in order to provide clear evidence on which to base practice.