(4)
Repeat this scrubbing procedure with a clean sponge.
(5)
Scrub the incision site for a minimum of five minutes.
CAUTION: Never bring a soiled sponge back toward the center of an area.
d. Preparation of Traumatic Wounds: Procedures. A traumatic wound is any
wound that occurs as a result of injury or other damage. The wound is considered
contaminated.
(1) Procedures. A variety of procedures may be needed in preparing a
traumatic wound for incision. The wound may need to be irrigated. Or, the wound may
require packing or covering with sterile gauze.
(2) Type of procedure. The wound can be cleansed and irrigated after you
change to sterile gloves. The extent and type of injury will determine what preparatory
procedure you choose.
e. Preparation of Traumatic Wounds: General Guidelines. Note these
guidelines:
(1) Do not use solutions such as detergents and alcohols that can irritate an
area in which tissue has been lost.
(2) You may irrigate small areas with a warm sterile solution, usually normal
saline, in a bulb syringe.
(3)
The purpose of irrigating a wound is to flush out debris gently.
(4) When flushing out a large wound, you may need to use copious
amounts of a warm saline solution.
(5) A bottle of warm saline or Ringer's solution attached to IV tubing may be
used to irrigate a wound.
(6)
Following irrigation, a wound is usually debrided.
f. Hair Removal. Remove hair carefully to avoid injuring the skin. A break in
the skin even though caused by only hair removal can provide an opportunity for entry
and colonization of microorganisms with the potential for infection. Shaving an area
should be done as close to the time of the incision as possible. The longer the time
between the shaving and the incision, the greater is the chance of infection.
CAUTION:
NEVER shave or clip eyebrows.
MD0574
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