Normal Saline for Wound Care
Normal saline is used for many medical purposes
Normal saline can be used to cleanse, irrigate, or moisturize wounds. It is also used in IV fluids for dehydration and in contact lens solutions.
Normal saline (0.9%) is a solution commonly used for medical purposes such as intravenous therapy for severe dehydration. It is also used as a rinse for contact lenses, and is used in wound care for irrigating, cleansing and hydrating wounds.
In simple wound care, normal saline can be used to cleanse a wound. It can be used in place of soap and water or other wound cleansers. It will not burn or otherwise irritate a wound. It is often used to cleanse deep wounds by irrigating or flushing out debris and dried blood.
Wounds need moisture in order to heal properly. If a wound is too dry it simply will not heal. In some instances, the normal saline is used in a wet-to-dry or damp-to-dry dressing to moisturize the wound. This is not a simple dressing change procedure and should only be used under the direction of a health care professional.
If soap and water is too painful or harsh to a simple wound, normal saline can be prepared at home and used to cleanse a wound. You can purchase a saline solution in the drug store, but to buy normal saline you will need a prescription. You may substitute a saline contact lens rinsing solution, but look for one that is thimerisol free. (Read the label it must be saline solution.) There are a few aerosol type saline wound cleansers available as well.
NOTE: It is important to use care to ensure that the solution is not contaminated. It contains no preservatives and must be discarded every week.
There are alternate ways to make your own normal saline.
First, wash your hands. (See handwashing.)
Using a clean jar with a screw type lid, add 1/4 tsp. of non-iodized table salt to one cup of water. Loosely screw on the lid and place the jar into a sauce pan. Fill the sauce pan with enough water to cover 3/4 of the jar. Cover and boil for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the jar to cool. Tighten the lid. Refrigerate and keep it refrigerated.
Alternately you can boil a cup of water with 1/4 tsp. non-iodized table salt in a clean covered pan.. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Allow to cool (still covered.) Then pour into a clean jar. Refrigerate and keep refrigerated.
How to use your homemade solution
Always wash your hands before you begin your wound care. (See handwashing.)
Pour the amount of saline you will need for your wound care each time into a clean small glass bowl. You can warm it slightly in the microwave if needed, but not above luke warm. Then pour onto gauze pads as you use them or place a few pads into the bowl to soak. Wring out excess into a separate container.
Tips:
- Discard the solution if contaminated, becomes cloudy, or after one week.
- If your tap water is particularly hard, you should use bottled or distilled water.
- A clean jar is one that has been recently washed in a dishwasher with very hot soapy water. Alternately, you can ensure a jar is clean by immersing it and the lid (not screwed on) in a pan of water and boiling it for 20 minutes in a covered pan. Allow to cool in the covered pan. Remove from the cooled water. Don't touch the inside of the jar or lid. Fill with the saline solution.
- Don't use homemade saline solution with contact lenses.
- Don't drink or otherwise consume this solution.
Notify your healthcare practitioner:
- Notify your health care practitioner of any changes in the wound such as redness, hot spots, streaking, odor, increased pain, fever.
- Always see your healthcare provider if a wound is deep; or caused by an animal bite or scratch, a rusty or exceptionally dirty or otherwise contaminated surface.
