Povidone-Iodine (“tamed” iodine) and chlorhexidine are probably the most commonly used cleansing agents in equine wound care. There’s some evidence that it might even reduce the rate of infection. Hypertonic saline solution (20 percent) is very effective at reducing bacterial numbers, but it is traumatic to normal tissue and probably should be avoided for lavaging wounds in most cases.Ī good body of research in human medicine, most recently complied in 2012 by the UK Cochrane Collaboration, indicates that tap water-perhaps counterintuitive due to the fact that it is hypotonic-is a good lavage solution. Even so, isotonic solution is acidic, and a polyionic solution such as lactated Ringer’s solution arguably would be even better. Wound IrrigationĪ solution of approximately 0.9 percent sodium chloride (isotonic saline) has been shown to reduce infection rates in human emergency rooms, as has 1 percent povidone-iodine solutions. Using procedures and products that minimize wound trauma and chemical damage to cells should be the goal of every equine practitioner. In human medicine, it’s been said that you should never put anything onto a wound that you wouldn’t put into your own eye. Thus, the risks, benefits and costs of various techniques must be considered prior to using any approach. While undoubtedly important, cleaning a wound causes additional mechanical trauma, and the cleaning process may introduce potentially cytotoxic agents to the wound surface. Proper wound care includes removal of any necrotic tissue and debris while, at the same, time reducing bacterial contamination on the surface. It’s always a good idea for any practitioner to know what effect a wound care product will have on a wound prior to using it. ACVS, gave a presentation on “What You Should and Should Not Put on Wounds,” from which most of this article is drawn. Unfortunately, many of them lack evidence of safety or effectiveness, and some can even cause harm.Īt the American Association of Equine Practitioners conference in December, Colorado State University’s Dean Hendrickson, DVM, MS, Dipl. To help with those responsibilities, a seemingly endless number of products are said to help promote wound healing. Horses sometimes seem almost single-mindedly bent on hurting themselves, so proper wound care is an important part of any equine practitioner’s responsibilities.
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