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Monday, September 10, 2018

By Melissa Stewart


Sometimes when one gets Into a horrible accident, it can be very frightening. The experience can even become more unsettling when a wound develops. Serious injuries can result in the loss of limbs. Before that happens, wound irrigation may play a successful role when it comes to keeping someone from losing their life.

Many can remember playing in water sprinklers on a very hot day. Well, contrary to the belief of children all over the word that this summer fun was created for them in mind; it served a better purpose. The irrigation system was used to keep the grass green as well as healthy. It was used to keep things looking like they were intended.

The process of wound irrigation occurs with the flushing of a wound with a flow of liquid. It is used to flush out debris, irritants, and dead tissue. This helps in keeping the wound hydrated which influences the healing process. It resembles that of an irrigation system.

When performing the method of irrigation, the pressure has to be high enough to remove any sort of debris or dead tissue, but gentle enough to not cause any more harm to the wound. It is often measured in pounds per square inch. This is known as psi. Scientific research has shown that using a psi between 5 and 15 psi provides enough pressure to remove debris. However, for a wound that is chronic in nature, use the lowest pressure that can achieve the same effect.

The question may arise of when to use this medical method. One example would be to use it on ulcers because they are considered chronic. To the eye, they look like sores that are opened that have been filled with tissue that is dead. This method would be instrumental in helping the injury to heal.

Liquids used for the irrigation basically include three varieties. The first one that is commonly used is that of water. It is simple, accessible, and does not cause any side effects. Normal saline on the other hand, has very few side effects. It helps in preserving the body's natural healing process and the osmotic pressure is very similar to that of fluids within the body. Hydrogen Peroxide is also used but with some controversy. Although it is beneficial when it comes to killing germs, evidence suggests that it may alter the healing process by slowing it down.

Before the irrigation takes place, washing the hands is a must. Also make sure to read the doctor's orders. After doing so, it is important to identify the patient with two forms of I. D. Then one can assess the patient's condition and find out if they have any allergies. All equipment should be carefully laid out.

Cleaning usually consists of a syringe or tool similar to what a dentist would use to rinse ones teeth when cleaning. The size of the syringe is determined by the size of the wound. The stream is usually continual or intermittent. Having a stream that is intermittent is known as pulse irrigation. The procedure can last anywhere from one to two minutes depending upon the size and condition of the wound.




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