Background and Identification
In the field of medicine, washing or flushing out a wound with liquids such as water or sterile saline is known as irrigation. Flushing out a bodily cavity for therapeutic purposes is called lavage. Wound irrigation (often abbreviated as WI) is often used in surgery to prevent infection at the surgical site and to flush out debris and contaminants prior to suture. A steady flow of liquid over a wound during surgery can aid in visual examination during the procedure.
Additional Information
- Wound Irrigation (Medscape)
- Therapeutic irrigation (Wikipedia)
- Surgical Wound Irrigation (National Library of Medicine)
- 8 Key Steps to Performing Proper Wound Irrigation (Woundsource)