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


METHODS
Prospective, randomised controlled, multicentre trial testing for equivalence of infection rates.


METHODS
Primary care in regional centre, Queensland, Australia.


METHODS
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 infinity to 0.028.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Heal
Clare
C
James Cook University, Queensland, Australia. clarshel@hotmail.com
Buettner
Petra
P
Raasch
Beverly
B
Browning
Sheldon
S
Graham
David
D
Bidgood
Rachel
R
Campbell
Margaret
M
Cruikshank
Robert
R
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009779:Occlusive Dressings; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology*; D013537:Sutures; D014945:Wound Healing