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Important Information Concerning Pulse Lavage Treatment For Wounds

By Paulette Short


Proper cleansing and debridement of an open wound is a vital part of wound care management. It facilitates the healing process, and prevents infections from occurring due to bacteria and other foreign bodies that may use the wound as a portal of entry. Research has been conducted on a method of debridement referred to as pulse lavage, where the wound is cleaned with water, unlike traditional methods that require keeping the area dry.

Wounds can occur for a variety of reasons. For example, a person who is immobile or in a nursing home may develop bedsores because he or she is unable to rise from bed to ambulate and complete other activities. Other wounds may be caused by burns, cuts, or any number of other unfortunate incidents.

Pulse lavage is a term that describes the irrigation of a wound through a process that involves delivering a water-based solution to the area. This is usually completed under a particular degree of pressure, and an electric device is typically what is used to transport the solution to the area. The irrigation causes simultaneous pressure to be applied to the wound and is followed with suction, which in turn transports the solution away from the area. This cleansing technique eradicates infectious agents and debris from the surface of the wound.

It is also possible to deliver the irrigation and suction simultaneously. With this method, the solution irrigates one area of the wound while suctioning another area. For wounds that are very small in circumference, it may be difficult to implement this technique, however.

This technique has come to be known by various names, including jet, mechanical, and pulsatile lavage. It is also frequently referred to as "high-pressure irrigation". All the aforementioned phrases essentially refer to the same method. Plain water may be used as a solution for the irrigation, or other substances may be added as determined by a wound care specialist, general doctor, or surgeon.

This kind of cleansing method is also used by the military. Debriding and cleaning contaminated wounds sustained in combat with this technique was determined to be one of the best options for such patients. In fact, it was during the 1960s that this kind of technique was first used, and it was conducted on military patients initially, and then civilians. Although its safety and effectiveness are still being studied, it is now a universally accepted method of wound cleansing.

There are also different types of pressure that can be used with this technique. Certain researchers state that only low pressure irrigation should be conducted, while others claim that high pressure methods are not associated with any additional hazards. This decision is largely based on the type of wound the person sustained, as well as the opinion of the medical professional from whom he or she is receiving treatment. Studies overwhelmingly point to the fact that the wound's surrounding tissue is safer from exposure to bacteria and other foreign substances after pressurized irrigation is completed.

Most professionals agree that this technique will be used on numerous patients for many years in the future. Additional research is currently underway in order to further perfect this method. Those afflicted with wounds should consider speaking to a medical doctor or other professional about pulse lavage.




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