The word "lavage" is from the Old French word laver, meaning to wash1.
In veterinary terminology, lavage is commonly used when discussing surgery; the abdominal cavity is lavaged, or flushed with saline (and possibly antibiotics) after a bowel, urinary bladder or gall bladder rupture to remove as much debris and bacteria as possible.
Other areas of the body that are lavaged:
Eyes are lavaged (flushed out with saline) to remove eye lashes and other foreign material. Joints are also lavaged after a surgery to remove any bone or cartilage chips. The stomach can also be lavaged after a suspected (non-corrosive) poison ingestion to remove the toxin (also called stomach pumping). Nostrils and bronchial tubes may also be lavaged to remove debris or collect a microscopic sample for cytologic analysis. Non-specific locations, such as an abscess that can occur anywhere on the body, are also lavaged to remove debris and remove as much of the bacteria as possible.
The primary purpose of lavaging an area is to cleanse. However, as noted for nasal and bronchial lavaging, sometimes a veterinarian will lavage an area to collect samples; be it for microscopic analysis or to check for microbial or fungal growth.
Reference:
1Dictionary reference
More Glossary Terms:
Veterinary Glossary
