This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Wound irrigation

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Wound irrigation may have one or several of the following aims:

  • removal of foreign bodies
  • reduction of pathogen numbers
  • removal of blood, clot and dead tissue
  • removal of free cancer cells
  • moistening of tissue

The solution used to irrigate may be:

  • physiological saline; its low osmolarity may aid in free tumour cell lysis
  • topical antiseptic, e.g. chlorhexidine and iodine; both may cause undesirable cell death of host tissue. Alternatives include spraying dry povidone-iodine spray onto the wound - this has been shown to reduce infection rates - or local injection of antibiotic peroperatively.

If an antiseptic is chosen, it must not stain the skin. Irrigation may be carried out with a rubber bulb syringe, low pressure or high pressure systems. Evidence suggests that a simple high pressure system, e.g. a fine jet of fluid from a needle attached to a large syringe, is far superior to low pressure alternatives (1).

Reference:

  • Edlich, R.F., Thacker, J.G. (1994). Wound irrigation. Annals of Emergency Medicine; 24: 88-90

Create an account to add page annotations

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.