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.
In the ideal situation, solutions meant for cleaning wounds should be transparent to facilitate accurate and thorough wound cleansing. They also need to be inexpensive and nontoxic to the injured. Normal saline fits this description just right. It is the typical solution for cleansing. It is an isotonic solution with no toxic contents. One major drawback to its use is the fact that it may not kill any harmful microbes that may be present. Povidone iodine, potable water and sodium hypochlorite are additional options that can be used.
Equipment used for irrigation include syringes, pressure canisters and traditional containers modified for cleaning under pressure. Canisters could be of the piston type or bulbous. They have the advantage of being simple, cheap and efficient.
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.
Once cleansing is deemed satisfactory, the wound should be dressed using sterile gauze and other appropriate dressing material. Closing up the area primarily with stitches depends on the size of the wound and whether there is an infection or not. Every step should be put down in writing including the type of solution, volume of solution used and irrigation pressures employed.
In the ideal situation, solutions meant for cleaning wounds should be transparent to facilitate accurate and thorough wound cleansing. They also need to be inexpensive and nontoxic to the injured. Normal saline fits this description just right. It is the typical solution for cleansing. It is an isotonic solution with no toxic contents. One major drawback to its use is the fact that it may not kill any harmful microbes that may be present. Povidone iodine, potable water and sodium hypochlorite are additional options that can be used.
Equipment used for irrigation include syringes, pressure canisters and traditional containers modified for cleaning under pressure. Canisters could be of the piston type or bulbous. They have the advantage of being simple, cheap and efficient.
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.
Once cleansing is deemed satisfactory, the wound should be dressed using sterile gauze and other appropriate dressing material. Closing up the area primarily with stitches depends on the size of the wound and whether there is an infection or not. Every step should be put down in writing including the type of solution, volume of solution used and irrigation pressures employed.
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