Efficacy of surgical wound drainage in orthopaedic trauma patients: a randomized prospective trial.
OBJECTIVE
To study the efficacy of closed suction drainage in clean nonemergent surgical fracture fixation or bone grafting on the extremities or pelvis.


METHODS
A prospective randomized trial.


METHODS
The orthopaedic trauma service of a Level I trauma hospital.


METHODS
Patients were older than age eighteen years and undergoing clean nonemergent surgical fracture fixation or bone grafting procedures on the extremities (excluding hands and feet) or pelvis.


METHODS
The application of a surgical drain.


METHODS
Wound drainage, edema, hematoma and erythema, dehiscence, infection, and need for surgery or readmission were followed for six weeks. A univariate analysis with Student's t test for continuous variables and chi-squared analysis for all categorical data were used, with a p value of < or = 0.05 considered statistically significant.


RESULTS
A total of 202 patients were randomized to 102 patients with no drain and 100 patients with a drain. There was no significant difference between the groups with regard to injury severity, systemic disease, age, body weight, physical status, or estimated blood loss. There was no significant difference between the drain and no-drain groups in any of the parameters evaluated.


CONCLUSIONS
There is no significant difference between drained and nondrained wounds in clean, nonurgent orthopaedic trauma surgery. It appears that drainage systems can be safely eliminated in this group.
University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, Madison, USA.
G J
GJ
Lang
M
M
Richardson
M J
MJ
Bosse
K
K
Greene
R A
RA
Meyer
S H
SH
Sims
J F
JF
Kellam
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal; D006487:Hemostasis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009985:Orthopedics; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation; D012086:Reoperation; D013396:Suction; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000601:surgery*