Very low pressure irrigation is effective at reducing reoperation risk for open fracture wounds, study finds

Very low pressure irrigation of open fractures is as effective at reducing the risk of reoperation for wound infection or inadequate healing as more costly high pressure irrigation, a study has shown. It also found that cleaning wounds with normal saline solution is better than irrigating with soap solution.

Effective management of open fractures requires thorough irrigation and debridement of the wound to remove debris and reduce the risk of infection. Wounds can be irrigated at low pressure—typically using a bulb syringe or using a fluid bag and giving set—or pulsed lavage devices can be …