Wound Irrigation

Wounds and lacerations are common complaints bringing patients both to urgent and emergent care centers. Emergency departments in the United States see an estimated 12.2 million patients for wound closure and wound management per year. The most common complication of wound care is an infection of the wound, with severe infection occurring in 2.47% of wounds sutured in the emergency department. Wound irrigation is an essential part of wound management and is the single greatest intervention in wound care that can reduce the risk of infection. The goal of wound irrigation is to remove foreign material, decrease bacterial contamination of the wound, and to remove cellular debris or exudate from the surface of the wound. Wound irrigation must be vigorous enough to perform the above goals but gentle enough to avoid further tissue trauma or passage of bacteria and foreign material deeper into the wound. Wound irrigation involves body fluids which may splash and spray due to the use of pressure; therefore, proper personal protective equipment is essential to the safety of wound care providers performing wound irrigation. The essential steps of wound irrigation include assessing the wound, wound anesthesia, wound periphery cleansing, and irrigation with the solution under pressure.