Certain unexpected events can cause one to damage their skin and deeper tissues. Road traffic accidents are among the common ways that people develop wounds. Gunshot wounds are common among people living in insecure areas where crime is rampant. One can also damage their tissues when they sustain burn wounds. Judicious wound irrigation is paramount to ensure that injured tissues heal properly.
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.
There are certain devices available for providing the right pressures needed for debridement. Commonly used devices include pressure canisters, bulb syringes and piston syringes. Mechanical irrigation can also be done using traditional approaches. The fact that they are affordable and simple, pressure canisters are preferred. They are also good because of their high efficiency level.
Debridement requires enough pressures to ensure effective removal of all damaged tissue. Continuous and pulsed irrigation are the two main approaches for debridement. As the name suggests, the continuous procedure is done without stoppage until all the dirt has been washed away. On the other hand, the pulsed method is done with periodic breaks in between. At end of the day, regardless of what means was used, the outcome is usually similar.
While performing debridement, it is important that both the patient and caregiver are protected from getting infections. Any foreign devices such as cannulas and catheters should be well covered. The eyes and face of the healthcare provider are bound to be splashed on by dirty fluid if protective measures are not put in place. Ensuring that the eyes do not glare directly and close to the wound helps in protecting them against splashes. The face also needs to be well covered by protective masks and gloves. Gowning and gloving are also important in keeping splashes from getting to the skin.
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.
Irrigation is a very sensitive procedure for the patient as some of their normal tissues may end up being traumatized, resulting in immense pain. As such, the doctor should be caring enough to ensure their comfort. Tissues around the area are injected with a local anesthetic agent. Alternatively, the patient can be put to sleep medically if the debridement will be long and intensive.
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.
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.
There are certain devices available for providing the right pressures needed for debridement. Commonly used devices include pressure canisters, bulb syringes and piston syringes. Mechanical irrigation can also be done using traditional approaches. The fact that they are affordable and simple, pressure canisters are preferred. They are also good because of their high efficiency level.
Debridement requires enough pressures to ensure effective removal of all damaged tissue. Continuous and pulsed irrigation are the two main approaches for debridement. As the name suggests, the continuous procedure is done without stoppage until all the dirt has been washed away. On the other hand, the pulsed method is done with periodic breaks in between. At end of the day, regardless of what means was used, the outcome is usually similar.
While performing debridement, it is important that both the patient and caregiver are protected from getting infections. Any foreign devices such as cannulas and catheters should be well covered. The eyes and face of the healthcare provider are bound to be splashed on by dirty fluid if protective measures are not put in place. Ensuring that the eyes do not glare directly and close to the wound helps in protecting them against splashes. The face also needs to be well covered by protective masks and gloves. Gowning and gloving are also important in keeping splashes from getting to the skin.
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.
Irrigation is a very sensitive procedure for the patient as some of their normal tissues may end up being traumatized, resulting in immense pain. As such, the doctor should be caring enough to ensure their comfort. Tissues around the area are injected with a local anesthetic agent. Alternatively, the patient can be put to sleep medically if the debridement will be long and intensive.
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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