Saturday 15 June 2013

Using Pulse Lavage For Wound Management

By Teri Farley


Pulse lavage is type of mechanical hydrotherapy that makes use of saline solution to debride and clean wounds. The solution is pressurized to irrigate necrotic tissues and wound debris. This is often used along with suction to remove the irrigation solution. In many clinical settings, this procedure is performed in patients with deep wounds to allow successful healing.

Wound cleaning is very important for obvious reasons. These must be properly managed so that the patient can begin with the healing process. Proper management also reduces the risk for infection. Necrotic tissues and bacteria must be removed from the wound bed to make way for the healing process. This way, open wounds can gradually repair and completely heal.

The main purpose of the procedure is to aid in the growth of granulation tissues. In order for this to happen, wound debris should be removed without damaging normal underlying tissues. Negative pressure of the suction will also cause stimulation of granulation tissue. Specialized instruments are used to for this procedure and these will be operated by skilled practitioners.

When doing the procedure, the pressure or force used can be adjusted depending on how much necrotic tissue needs to be removed. The specific type of instrument used can be regulated to control the force of lavage. Practitioners performing the procedure must be aware of any pain felt by the patient during the process to make necessary adjustments.

If the patient feels any pain, analgesic medications can be administered to relieve it. Before the procedure, topical analgesic solution can also be applied to the wound. Patients may also be given medications about half an hour to manage the pain. Antibiotics may be added to the saline solution if signs of infection begin to show.

In addition, it is also advised to warm the saline solution to be used. This will help speed the healing process. Due to physiologic processes, the wound bed ay cool down which slows the healing. This concern can be addressed by making the solution warm before it is applied. Once the wound is free from organisms, debris, and necrotic tissue, healing can take place.

This procedure costs less compared to other methods. For this reason, this is practiced in many clinical settings. This may be performed as bedside care in hospitals, long term care facilities, outpatient departments, physical therapy settings, and small clinics. Patients who need daily or weekly wound care can undergo this procedure. This can be performed as prescribed or whenever necessary.

Since this procedure is done numerous times for different patients, devices are now designed specifically for this purpose. There are many precision instruments available today intended for wound cleaning. These tools can remove bacteria, necrotic tissue, and foreign materials effectively. Although these are primarily used for wound care, these are also used during orthopedic surgeries to debride bone surfaces.

Healing is very important for any patient suffering from any condition. When it comes to wounds, it is also important to realize the significance of pulse lavage. Patients would need effective methods to manage their condition. With skills of healthcare practitioners, this procedure can be performed the correct way thereby helping patients heal faster.




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