hydrogen peroxide, the debate continues

[Maverick]

With the debates surrounding hydrogen peroxide not really ending we retired it to cleaning the cutting board little over a year ago. We are stocking our first aid kits with purdue betadine solution and alcohol, at some point in time hopefully someone will come to a definitive conclusion regarding hydrogen peroxide, betadine have been the go to for years with me. No, I haven't given up on peroxide it still has many uses just not in the first aid kit.

"hydrogen peroxide appears not to negatively influence wound healing, but it is also ineffective in reducing the bacterial count. However, it may be useful as a chemical debriding agent. The American Medical Association concluded that the effervescence of hydrogen peroxide might provide some mechanical benefit in loosening debris and necrotic tissue of the wound"

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/456300_3

 

[jimLE]

i have to agree.on account i never really believed that it killed germs and other things on the wound..but yet.it is great for removing debri that can't be gotton with tweezers or something else

 

[jontte]

Hope I can use this intel in the future...school and later at work

 

[jontte]

had to do some digging here,in some cases they use that stuff to clean wounds,not all but some cases,seems to clean the wound pretty good of small particles...when you pour it on the wound and it "boils over"

 

[Maverick]

from everything I have read, it works fairly good on fresh wounds but not as affective as betadine. If room is limited and/or cash strapped I feel betadine would be the best investment if given a choice between the two plus betadine is an effective drinking water purification. Note, I am purely speaking from a first aid point of view, hydrogen peroxide still has many uses but should not be the first choice in a first aid situation if iodine solution (betadine or similar) is available.

I wouldn't use hydrogen peroxide for direct wound cleaning given that peroxide slows the healing process instead clean with soap and water then wound irrigation with purified water in a 60cc syringe. I'm hoping someone from the medical field would chi in on this discussion.

 

[jontte]

that's what they said here on a web site for the nursing staff,it has its good points and not so good ones,one nurse said there that it's quite good in removing very small gravel from the wound when you let it "boil over" but the healing is slower, maybe I should get both,just to be on the safe side...something to ask when I return to school after this Christmas break..this is interesting stuff