Effectiveness of pulsating water jet lavage in treatment of contaminated crushed wounds

Abstract

Facial crush wounds in 200 albino rats were contaminated with soil containing K pneumoniae, Ps aeruginosa, Pr mirabilis and Staph aureus. The wounds in the control group were irrigated with water using a bulb syringe. In the experimental group the wounds were lavaged with a pulsating water jet.The results indicate that the pulsating jet lavage was much more effective in reducing the bacterial population and in the removal of necrotic tissue and foreign particles from the wounds than was irrigation with a bulb syringe. The amount and extent of the inflammatory reaction and abscess formation was found to be directly related to the amount of foreign material remaining in the wound. Early reduction of bacterial concentration in the wound by pulsating water jet lavage resulted in faster elimination of all bacteria and accelerated wound healing.