Wound irrigation solutions

An antibacterial isotonic irrigation solution comprising:

• saline selected from physiological saline, saline containing magnesium and/or calcium and phosphate buffered saline (PBS);
• about 0.001%-0.5% w/v antimicrobial selected from the group consisting of polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB), triclosan, octenidine, PVP-iodine, chlorhexidine digluconate, silver, hypochlorus acid, sodium hypochlorite and any combination thereof;
• about 0.01 mM up to about 50 mM chelator selected from the group consisting of ethylenediaine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA), disodium EDTA, trisodium EDTA, ethyleneglycotetraacetic acid, Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), N,N-bis(carboxymethyl)glycine (NTA), and combinations thereof;
• about 4% by weight surfactant selected from betaine, glycerine and combinations thereof;
• about 0.001 to about 1.0% collagenous biological enhancer selected from the group consisting of hydrolyzed collagen, collagen peptides, denatured collagen, monomeric collagen and combinations thereof;
• optionally 0.01% to about 4% glycosaminoglycans;
• and
• optionally about 0.01% to about 5% hydroxyethylcellulose,
• wherein said irrigation solution aids to maintain the viability of cells/tissues of a wound, to remove non-viable or necrotic tissue of a wound, to remove contamination materials or microbes form a wound, to enhance the removal of biofilms of a wound, to enhance visualization of a wound, to provide tissue nutrients and enzyme inhibitors to a wound, to chelate metal ions of a wound or to establish a wound bed and activate host cells to support healing of said wound.