title: Wound-edge protection devices in gastrointestinal surgery: a meta-analysis.
abstract: The role of wound-edge protection devices (WEPDs) in wound infection prevention is still controversial. The aim of this meta-analysis was to assess the protective efficiency of WEPDs in gastrointestinal surgery in a pooled analysis of randomized controlled trials.
  
  
  
  A variety of sources were searched for randomized controlled trials evaluating the protective efficiency of WEPDs in gastrointestinal surgery. Subgroup analysis and meta-regressions were conducted to investigate the possible influence of the type of WEPD on the size of intervention effect. This review was conducted in accordance with a prespecified protocol based on the guidance of the Cochrane Handbook and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses statement.
  
  
  
  Sixteen studies with 3663 patients were included. The WEPDs usage led to a significant decrease in surgical wound infection (risk ratio [RR] = 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.46-0.87; P = 0.005; I2= 63%), with the dual-ring design usage yielding a more significant reduction in surgical wound infection (RR = 0.24; 95% CI: 0.11-0.50; P = 0.0002; I2= 29%), whereas the single-ring design usage yielding a nonsignificant result (RR = 0.78; 95% CI: 0.58-1.04; P = 0.09; I2= 53%).
  
  
  
  Double-ring WEPD, but not single-ring design, reduces wound infection rate significantly in gastrointestinal surgery. Therefore, the use of single-ring WEPD should be reconsidered.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Integration Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yuwei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pu
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China. Electronic address: bradycarpenter@126.com.
authors.forename: Chungen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xing
mesh_terms: D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Prevention and control; Surgical wound infection; Wound-edge protection device