Aha Trivia Stuff Everyone Should Know
Aha Trivia: Stuff Everyone Should Know · ahatrivia.com/wfa-wound-irrigation

How should a dirty trail wound be cleaned?

Flush it with clean water under pressure.

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  1. Flush it with clean water under pressure ✔
  2. Scrub it hard with a dry cloth
  3. Seal the dirt in with a tight bandage

Why: Flushing with safe water lifts dirt and germs out without damaging tissue. Pressure from a syringe or a bottle with a pinhole works better than soaking.

Huh, didn't know that: NOLS suggests a tool that can release water with pressure, like a syringe.

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Why did the water bottle go to the campsite? To make a clean splash.
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References

Answer: Flush it with clean water under pressure. Flushing with safe water lifts dirt and germs out without damaging tissue. Pressure from a syringe or a bottle with a pinhole works better than soaking.

  1. NOLS: Applying Wilderness Medicine Skills During the COVID-19 Pandemic www.nols.edu/blog/applying-wilderness-medicine-skills-during-the-covid-19-pandemic
    Irrigate the wound with clean water, preferably from a tool that can release water with pressure, like a syringe.
    Checked 2026-10-21.

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