Can sutures get wet? Prospective randomised controlled trial of wound management in general practice

Heal, Clare;Buttner, Petra;Raasch, Beverley;Browning, Sheldon;Graham, David;Bidgood, Rachel;Campbell, Margaret;Cruikshank, Robert

Clare Heal

Abstract

Objective: To compare standard management of keeping wounds dry and covered with allowing wounds to be uncovered and wet in the first 48 hours after minor skin excision. Design Prospective: randomised controlled, multicentre trial testing for equivalence of infection rates. Setting: primary care in regional centre, Queensland, Australia. Participants: 857 patients randomised to either keep their wound dry and covered (n = 442) or remove the dressing and wet the wound (n = 415). Results: The incidence of infection in the intervention group (8.4%) was not inferior to the incidence in the control group (8.9%) (P < 0.05). The one sided 95% confidence interval for the difference of infection rates was {infty} to 0.028. Conclusion: These results indicate that wounds can be uncovered and allowed to get wet in the first 48 hours after minor skin excision without increasing the incidence of infection.

Journal

The BMJ

Publication Name

British Medical Journal

Volume

332

ISBN/ISSN

1756-1833

Edition

N/A

Issue

7549

Pages Count

Location

N/A

Publisher

BMJ Group

Publisher Url

N/A

Publisher Location

London, United Kingdom

Publish Date

N/A

Url

N/A

Date

N/A

EISSN

N/A

DOI

10.1136/bmj.38800.628704.AE