Pin site management at home with octenisan wash/octenilin wound irrigation

Orthopaedic Department

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Permanent Removal of a Gastrostomy Button Device (206kB pdf)

Your child’s pin sites have now completed the post-op care regime so we want you to continue to care for them at home. 

Pin site care should be carried out once a week. Routinely it is preferable that you do them on a Tuesday / Wednesday so any problems can be managed before the weekend.

Method for patients able to shower:

1. Remove all dressings.

2. Inspect all pin sites and report to us any redness or discharge.

3. Child can then have a full shower using the Octenisan wash solution that you have been supplied and using disposable wash clothes.

4. To be effective the Octenisan wash needs to have 1 minute contact time on skin.  

• Child / parent / carer should then 1^st dry around the fixator with a clean towel before drying the rest of the body.

DO NOT DRY THE SKIN AROUND THE PIN SITES, ALLOW IT TO DRY NATURALLY.

6. Once the pin sites are completely dry they should be redressed with the sterile dry dressings and bandages supplied, wearing sterile gloves and using a non-touch technique.

Method for patients to unable to shower:

1. Remove all dressings.

• Inspect all pin sites and report to us any redness or discharge.

• Irrigate pin sites with the Octenilin wound irrigation that has been supplied.

• While the pin sites and leg are drying, prepare the dressings to be reapplied, using sterile gloves and using a non- touch technique.

Re – apply dressings

For further advice

Please contact the Nurse Specialist via the Consultant Secretaries on 0151 282 4661 or 0151 282 4682 – Office hours only

OUT OF HOURS

If you suspect your child may have a pin site infection it is important that he/she gets seen in Accident and Emergency dept. or by local GP on-call service as soon as possible.  If you live outside Liverpool your GP service can get advice from our on-call Orthopaedic team 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including Bank Holidays.

This leaflet only gives general information. You must always discuss the individual treatment of your child with the appropriate member of staff. Do not rely on this leaflet alone for information about your child’s treatment.

This information can be made available in other languages and formats if requested.

PIAG 310