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#108357 - 10/11/07 03:13 PM Re: Water purification tabs as a disinfectant? [Re: asfried1]
JCWohlschlag Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 11/26/06
Posts: 724
Loc: Sterling, Virginia, United Sta...
I think we need to be careful about the terms we are using. “Disinfection” usually refers to the killing of microbes on or in an inanimate object. “Antiseptic” usually refers to the killing of microbes on skin (unless you specify something like “skin disinfectant”).

While “disinfectants” and “antiseptics” are the same chemical in many cases, “disinfectants” are a much stronger concentration since safety of living tissue is usually not a concern.

For cleaning an open wound, regular (safe, drinkable) water is recommended for pressure irrigation. It has been shown to do just as effective a job while not causing tissue damage, stunting healing, or promoting scar tissue. You can use water purification products to create or ensure safe irrigation water, but remember that your objective is to kill the germs in the water, not to kill the germs in the wound. Don’t go crazy with the chemicals. Irrigation with sufficient pressure is all you need to clean the wound.
_________________________
“Hiking is just walking where it’s okay to pee. Sometimes old people hike by mistake.” — Demitri Martin

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#108358 - 10/11/07 03:17 PM Re: Water purification tabs as a disinfectant? [Re: asfried1]
Hacksaw
Unregistered


I've always gone with the belief that the best thing to clean out wounds to prevent or calm an infection is a salt water solution. I have an MSR MIOX Pen so I always have a supply of salt in addition to purification tablets.

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#108408 - 10/11/07 09:59 PM Re: Water purification tabs as a disinfectant? [Re: ]
asfried1 Offline
Newbie

Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 31
Originally Posted By: Hacksaw
I've always gone with the belief that the best thing to clean out wounds to prevent or calm an infection is a salt water solution. I have an MSR MIOX Pen so I always have a supply of salt in addition to purification tablets.


Again, the studies that have been done support the use of plain old drinkable water. There is no advantage to a salt solution - even a completely sterile normal saline irrigation solution. In fact, the evidence suggests that the use of tap water for wound irrigation may be associated with fewer infections than sterile saline.

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#108427 - 10/12/07 02:51 AM Re: Water purification tabs as a disinfectant? [Re: asfried1]
eric_2003 Offline
Journeyman

Registered: 09/14/07
Posts: 56
I am swapping out my benzalkonium chloride wipes in the first aid kit for chlorhexidine wipes. Chlorhexidine gives a more persistent disinfection (whoops - antisepsis) that would be beneficial in preventing infection. Asfried1 is right on how tap water is usually adequate for irrigation, but if my FAK had to be used in a non-urban, or a setting without the comforts of home (and hygiene), then persistent activity against microbials would be useful since you can't count on 1) a clean environment, 2) your barrier dressing holding up.
J Hosp Infect 1984 showed that chlorhexidine prevented non-infected wounds from becoming infected, better than saline - this is useful in non-urban settings.

Regarding the miox, also electrolysed oxidized water was shown to be markedly superior to water or saline in serious wounds such as burns. It was superior in preventing local and systemic infection. I have no idea how the miox unit would convert in terms of getting the right concentration, but I remember I investigated this a while back and the marketing rep had told me a solution of 2.5% was made (standardized to chlorine though, and it didn't take into account the other more potent oxidants that miox generates).

Eric

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#108448 - 10/12/07 05:08 AM Re: Water purification tabs as a disinfectant? [Re: eric_2003]
Hacksaw
Unregistered


I did some digging and found an amazing study.

The study compares just about every irrigation solution and techniques...even the pressure of the irrigation...the results surprised me.

The article ends with some great advice on what to use, when, and how.

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