Anesthetic Flooding Technique for Sharp Wound Debridement: A Novel Approach to Pain Control and Hemostasis

A traditional anesthetic approach for sharp wound debridement typically involves application of a topical anesthetic. Despite its simplicity, it produces a variable degree of procedure-related anesthesia, often necessitating an interrupting of the procedure for additional anesthesia, switching the anesthesia modality, or prematurely terminating the procedure. In this article, the authors introduce a novel anesthetic flooding technique that can enhance topical anesthesia without the need for procedure interruption or switching to an injectable route of anesthesia application. The flooding technique involves an anesthetic poured into the wound base at the outset or during the procedure if additional anesthesia is required. This approach not only provides continuous anesthesia throughout the debridement process but can also promote a clear visual field due to hemostasis control. The flooding technique is an invaluable tool in situations where procedure-related pain is not well controlled using conventional anesthetic application.