Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Instrument sterilization, skin preparation, and wound management.
- Journal:
- The Veterinary clinics of North America. Equine practice
- Year:
- 1996
- Authors:
- Southwood, L L & Baxter, G M
- Affiliation:
- Department of Clinical Sciences · United States
Plain-English summary
Recent improvements in how we sterilize surgical instruments include a method called gas plasma sterilization, which is safe for delicate tools and doesn't leave harmful residues. For cleaning the skin before surgery, a solution called chlorhexidine gluconate (4%) is proving to be very effective, as it works well against germs and causes minimal irritation. While there are many new products for treating wounds, most have only been tested on humans, dogs, and cats, and we still don't know the best options for treating wounds on horses, especially those on their lower legs. Overall, while there are promising advancements, we still need to find the best solutions for equine wound care.
Abstract
Recent advances in instrument sterilization include the introduction of gas plasma sterilization and the increased use of glutaraldehyde. Gas plasma sterilization has the advantages of no toxic residue effects, reduced turnover time, and applicability for sterilization of heat- and moisture-sensitive instruments. Chlorhexidine gluconate (4%) appears to be a superior preoperative surgical scrub for both the surgeon and the patient because of its increased antimicrobial efficacy, residual activity, and minimal tissue reactions. There are many new wound dressings and topical medications for treatment of wounds, but the efficacy of most of these preparations has been evaluated only in humans, dogs, and cats. The ideal topical wound preparation and dressing for equine wounds, particularly wounds affecting the distal limb, have not yet been found.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8856873/