title: Pressures of Wilderness Improvised Wound Irrigation Techniques: How Do They Compare?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Compare the pressures measured by improvised irrigation techniques to a commercial device and to prior reports.
  
  
  METHODS
  Devices tested included a commercial 500-mL compressible plastic bottle with splash guard, a 10-mL syringe, a 10-mL syringe with a 14-ga angiocatheter (with needle removed), a 50-mL Sawyer syringe, a plastic bag punctured with a 14-ga needle, a plastic bottle with cap punctured by a 14-ga needle, a plastic bottle with sports top, and a bladder-style hydration system. Each device was leveled on a support, manually compressed, and aimed toward a piece of glass. A high-speed camera placed behind the glass recorded the height of the stream upon impact at its highest and lowest point. Measurements were recorded 5 times for each device. Pressures in pounds per square inch (psi) were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The syringe and angiocatheter pressures measured the highest pressures (16-49 psi). The 50-mL syringe (7-11 psi), 14-ga punctured water bottle (7-25 psi), and water bottle with sports top (3-7 psi) all measured at or above the commercial device (4-5 psi). Only the bladder-style hydration system (1-2 psi) and plastic bag with 14-ga needle puncture (2-3 psi) did not reach pressures generated by the commercial device.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pressures are consistent with those previously reported. All systems using compressible water bottles and all syringe-based systems provided pressures at or exceeding a commercial wound irrigation device. A 14-ga punctured plastic bag and bladder-style hydration pack failed to generate similar irrigation pressures.
authors: University of California San Francisco Fresno, Fresno, CA (Drs Luck, Campagne, and Spano).
authors: John B
authors: JB
authors: Luck
authors: University of California San Francisco Fresno, Fresno, CA (Drs Luck, Campagne, and Spano).
authors: Danielle
authors: D
authors: Campagne
authors: UC Berkeley-UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering, Berkeley, CA (Mr Falcón-Banchs).
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Falcón Banchs
authors: National Park Service (NPS), Yosemite National Park, Yosemite, CA (Mr Montoya).
authors: Jason
authors: J
authors: Montoya
authors: University of California San Francisco Fresno, Fresno, CA (Drs Luck, Campagne, and Spano). Electronic address: sspano@gmail.com.
authors: Susanne J
authors: SJ
authors: Spano
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D009339:Needles; D011312:Pressure; D013594:Syringes; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D055813:Wilderness Medicine / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000628:therapy*