lundi 9 juillet 2018

A Few Basics On Wound Irrigation

By Donna Cook


Wounds come about upon physical injury which could occur in many ways. Among the common ways that people sustain wounds is through motor vehicle accidents and gun shot injuries. Severe soft tissue injury can also be as a result of burns. Wound irrigation is one of the initial steps that are undertaken in the treatment process. It is important that this is done judiciously to ensure that they heal in the best way possible.

The ideal solution for irrigation should be transparent, affordable and safe to use. Being transparent helps the doctor and nurse to see the tissues and debris clearly. Commonly used agents include normal saline, sodium hypochlorite, povidone iodine, sterile water, potable water and commercialized wound cleansers. Normal saline is the most commonly used because of its high safety profile. It contains the same concentration of sodium and chloride ions as that found in blood. However, it lacks antiseptic properties and therefore may not be effective in managing infected wounds.

Some of instruments necessary for effective debridement include syringes, pressurized canisters and ampules among others. There are two main types of syringes involved in pressure debridement; piston and bulb. Canisters are preferable because they have good pressures. Moreover, there price is fair and are very easy to use.

Irrigation can be said to either be continuous or pulsed. Pulsed irrigation is done with periods of rest, perhaps to confirm whether the wound has been fully cleansed. Studies, however, reveal that the outcome is the same, regardless of what method has been used. Pressure during cleaning ensures that all the debris has been done away with.

Given the high pressures, there are very high chances that one may get spurt on by debris and dirty liquid. One should adorn themselves with a face mask and goggles to protect the facial region which has the highest likelihood of being splashed on given that it is directly exposed to the field of the procedure. Not only does the splash have the risk of causing infection but it is also possible that it may corrode normal tissues if the solution used is highly concentrated.

Apart from controlling active bleeding of tissues, unclean wounds need to be irrigated to ensure they heal rapidly. Irrigating tissues that are still bleeding can result in fatal complications. Clots tend to form very rapidly and can easily be transmitted elsewhere in the body. A clot lodged in the lungs is dangerous because the affected person can develop respiratory distress.

Sustaining severe physical injury is often very traumatic to the patient. Subjecting them to further trauma is not fair at all. It is only noble that sufficient anesthesia is provided to ensure that they do not complain of pain during the procedure. Depending on how severe the damage is, either general or local anesthesia can be utilized.

In a nutshell, thorough irrigation is paramount to ensuring that wounds do not complicate. It also ensures that the injured tissues are renewed and the patient can be able to live a normal life again. It may be necessary to write down all the steps taken during cleansing to be used as reference during subsequent care of the wound. This includes indicating the kind of irrigant used, how much volume of it was irrigated and under what pressures.




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