How to Care for External Fixator Discharge Pins

An external fixator is an external device used to correct bone fractures. Pins are inserted through the skin into a bone. The bone is then aligned by making small adjustments to the outside fixator mechanism. Care of the pins and site is crucial in order for proper healing to occur. Cleaning and checking the pins is a simple task that should be included in your daily hygiene routine at least once a day.

Things You'll Need

• Disposable cup
• Cotton balls
• Sterile gauze
• Normal saline solution
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Cotton swab

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Instructions

• 1

  Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water. Make sure you get between your fingers and the backs of your hands. Clean hands help prevent infection at the pin insertion sites. Dry your hands with a paper towel. Bathroom hand towels might harbor bacteria.

• 2

  Remove any protective dressings covering the site. Inspect the area surrounding the fixator and pin insertion sites. Look for signs of infection such as redness, swelling, pain and fluid or pus discharge. You should contact your doctor immediately if you see any of these signs.

• 3

  Mix a cleansing solution by pouring equal parts of a normal saline solution and hydrogen peroxide into a disposable cup.

• 4

  Dip a cotton swab into the solution and clean the insertion site of each pin. Move the swab in a circular motion starting from next to the pin and moving outward. Remove any scabs from the site. Use a new swab for each insertion site.

• 5

  Dip a 2-by-2-inch gauze pad into the cleansing solution and wipe each fixator pin along the entire length. Use a new pad for each pin. Dry any excess solution from the pin using a dry gauze pad.

• 6

  Place a clean, dry gauze pad at the base of each pin if there is any drainage. Drainage may occur in the first 10 days following fixator placement or after an adjustment. Make a note of the type of drainage -- clear fluid, blood or pus. Pus usually indicates an infection, so let your doctor know about it. If there is no drainage, you do not need to place any gauze over the pin sites.

• 7

  Check the pins for security. A pin should not move when touched. If a pin feels loose or painful, you should contact your doctor.

• 8

  Clean the fixator in the shower using soap and water. This may be done 10 days after the fixator has been placed. Dry it thoroughly with a clean towel.