title: Effects of electrocautery on midline laparotomy wound infection.
abstract: This study compared the healing of midline fascial incisions made with either scalpel or electrocautery and inoculated with Escherichia coli in 57 Sprague-Dawley rats. At 7 days, tensile strength was significantly less when incisions were made with electrocautery than with a scalpel. Additionally, would strength was inversely related to the concentration of the inoculum of E coli. The use of electrocautery was also associated with more frequent bacteremia at 48 hours and higher mortality at 7 days. Our results suggest that the technique used to incise the abdominal fascia influences subsequent wound healing, particularly in contaminated wounds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University Medical Center, Tucson, Arizona 85724.
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Kumagai
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Rosales
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Rappaport
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Witzke
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Chvapil
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chvapil
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Sutherland
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004564:Electrocoagulation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000209:etiology; D007813:Laparotomy / Q000379:methods*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D014945:Wound Healing