OUTCOME OF SALINE WOUND LAVAGE PRIOR TO WOUND CLOSURE IN GYNAECOLOGICAL AND OBSTETRICAL PATIENTS

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of saline wound lavage in reducing wound infections in patients undergoing gynaecological and obstetrical abdominal surgical procedures. Study Design: Quasi-experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Pakistan Navy Ship Shifa Hospital, Karachi Pakistan, from Oct 2018 to Sep 2019. Methodology: All the patients undergoing gynaecological or obstetrical surgical procedures were enrolled after informed consent. Participants underwent elective or emergency surgery. In Group A with 551 patients, saline wound Lavage was done before closure, whereas in 533 patients in group B saline wound irrigation was not done. Similar post-operative care was provided to both groups. All patients were observed for febrile illness and wound discharge on 2nd, 8th, 15th and 30th postoperative day. Results: Out of 1084 patients, there were 551 (50.7%) in saline wound irrigation group A, while 533 (49.3%) were in group B where no saline wound irrigation was done. The frequency of febrile illness was observed in 49 (3.8%) patients. Febrile illness was significantly higher in patients without saline wound irrigation as compared to patients with saline wound irrigation (pvalue 0.002). The frequency of wound discharge was observed in 28 (22.2%) patients. Wound discharge was significantly higher in patients without saline wound irrigation as compared to patients with saline wound irrigation (p-value=0.018). Conclusion: Saline wound irrigation prior to wound closure in obstetrical and gynaecological abdominal procedures can lead to a significant reduction in surgical site infection.

Irrigant selection for treating trauma wounds on injured wildlife patients

Contaminated wounds are frequently encountered on injured wildlife patients. Left untreated, contaminated wounds may result in infection with ongoing complications. Wound irrigation is an essential part wound treatment and arguably the most effective means of preventing wound infection. Successful treatment depends on a number of factors but selecting the most appropriate irrigant for the type of wound, degree and type of contamination, species and patient status is up to the informed caregiver. This article discusses some of the pros and cons of common irrigants used in veterinary wound management and best practices for application.

Emergency management of open fractures

Open fractures are associated with an increased risk of complications, such as infection or nonunion, and present a therapeutic challenge. The incidence of such complications is directly influenced by how they are treated in the first several hours after presentation. As such, the focus of this article is to adopt an evidence-based approach to guide open fracture emergency management and minimise complication rates. Upon initial presentation, the potential for concomitant life-threatening injuries should be investigated and the patient stabilised as necessary. Critical components of emergency management that have been shown to impact on complication rates include initial classification of the fracture, the prompt instigation of broad-spectrum systemic antibiotic therapy, the use of local antibiotics in select cases and copious wound irrigation using sterile saline. As long as antibiosis is attended to appropriately, small delays in wound debridement do not translate to increased complication rates and waiting for an experienced surgical team is recommended. In cases with no severe tissue damage or contamination, primary wound closure results in lower infection rates and can be recommended. In cases where primary closure is not an option, the wound should be sealed to prevent contamination with nosocomial pathogens.

Antibiotic-Impregnated Calcium Sulfate vs. Wound Irrigation-Suction to Treat Chronic Calcaneal Osteomyelitis

Background: Chronic osteomyelitis of calcaneus is not rare but is very hard to treat. Irrigation-suction and antibiotic-impregnated calcium sulfate following debridement are commonly used in managing chronic osteomyelitis, but their effects have rarely been compared. We aimed to compare the effectiveness of antibiotic-impregnated calcium sulfate with irrigation-suction in the treatment of patients with chronic calcaneal osteomyelitis. Methods: From January 2011 to June 2018, adult patients at our institute with chronic osteomyelitis receiving treatment of either antibiotic-impregnated calcium sulfate (CS group) or irrigation-suction (IS group) following thorough debridement were screened and selected according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The clinical presentation, laboratory tests, complications, and the ultimate single-staged cure rate and recurrence were compared. Results: A total of 61 patients, including 41 in the CS group and 20 in the IS group, were included in our study. Of the patients, 85.4% in the CS group and 60.0% in the IS group ( P = .006) were successfully cured in the single stage, respectively, without infection recurrence. Lower infection recurrence rates with shorter hospital stay were found in the CS group than the IS group. Inflammatory biomarkers after surgery with both treatments were slightly decreased and not significantly different from preoperative or between-groups postoperative. Exudate from incision was found primarily in the CS group. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that both antibiotic-impregnated calcium sulfate and irrigation-suction after careful and thorough surgical debridement are generally effective in treating chronic calcaneal osteomyelitis. Antibiotic-impregnated calcium sulfate achieved a higher single-staged cure rate but was associated with an increased postoperative wound exudate. Level of Evidence: III, retrospective cohort study.

The impact of surgical site infection—a cost analysis

Purpose Surgical site infection (SSI) occurs in up to 25% of patients after elective laparotomy. We aimed to determine the effect of SSI on healthcare costs and patients’ quality of life. Methods In this post hoc analysis based on the RECIPE trial, we studied a 30-day postoperative outcome of SSI in a single-center, prospective randomized controlled trial comparing subcutaneous wound irrigation with 0.04% polyhexanide to 0.9% saline after elective laparotomy. Total medical costs were analyzed accurately per patient with the tool of our corporate controlling team which is based on diagnosis-related groups in Germany. Results Between November 2015 and May 2018, 456 patients were recruited. The overall rate of SSI was 28.2%. Overall costs of inpatient treatment were higher in the group with SSI: median 16.685 €; 19.703 USD (IQR 21.638 €; 25.552 USD) vs. median 11.235 €; 13.276 USD (IQR 11.564 €; 13.656 USD); p < 0.001. There was a difference in surgery costs (median 6.664 €; 7.870 USD with SSI vs. median 5.040 €; 5.952 USD without SSI; p = 0.001) and costs on the surgical ward (median 8.404 €; 9.924 USD with SSI vs. median 4.690 €; 5.538 USD without SSI; p < 0.001). Patients with SSI were less satisfied with the cosmetic result (4.3% vs. 16.2%; p < 0.001). Overall costs for patients who were irrigated with saline were median 12.056 €; 14.237 USD vs. median 12.793 €; 15.107 USD in the polyhexanide group (p = 0.52). Conclusion SSI after elective laparotomy increased hospital costs substantially. This is an additional reason why the prevention of SSI is important. Overall costs for intraoperative wound irrigation with saline were comparable with polyhexanide.

Antimicrobial activity of hemodialysis catheter lock solutions in relation to other compounds with antiseptic properties

Proper protection of vascular access after haemodialysis is one of the key measures for the prevention of catheter-related infections. Various substances with bactericidal and anticoagulant properties are used to fill catheters, but due to the unsatisfactory clinical effects and occurrence of adverse reactions, the search for new substances is still ongoing. In the present paper, we compared the in vitro antimicrobial activity of solutions used for tunnelled catheter locking (taurolidine, trisodium citrate) and solutions of substances that could potentially be used for this purpose (sodium bicarbonate, polyhexanide-betaine). The studies have been conducted on bacteria that most commonly cause catheter-related infections. The values of both minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum biofilm eradication concentration of the substances were determined. The ability of the tested substances to eradicate biofilm from the dialysis catheter surface was also evaluated. The results showed that polyhexanide-betaine inhibited the growth of all microbes comparably to taurolidine, even after ≥ 32-fold dilution. The activity of trisodium citrate and sodium bicarbonate was significantly lower. Polyhexanide exhibited the highest activity in the eradication of bacterial biofilm on polystyrene plates. The biofilm formed on a polyurethane dialysis catheter was resistant to complete eradication by the test substances. Polyhexanide-betaine and taurolidine showed the highest activity. Inhibition of bacterial growth regardless of species was observed not only at the highest concentration of these compounds but also after dilution 32–128x (taurolidine) and 32–1024x (polyhexanide-betaine). Therefore, it can be assumed that taurolidine application as a locking solution prevents catheter colonization and systemic infection development. Taurolidine displays high antimicrobial efficacy against Gram-positive cocci as well as Gram-negative bacilli. On the contrary, the lowest antibacterial effect displayed product contained sodium bicarbonate. The inhibitions of bacterial growth were not satisfactory to consider it as a substance for colonization prevention. Polyhexanidine-betaine possessed potent inhibitory and biofilm eradication properties comparing to all tested products. PHMB is applied as a wound irrigation solution worldwide. However, based on our results, we assume that the PHMB is a promising substance for catheter locking solutions thanks to its safety and high antimicrobial properties.

Quality of life improvement in patients with hard-to-heal leg wounds treated with Prontosan wound irrigation solution and wound gel

Objective: This study evaluated the impact of four weeks of treatment with Prontosan Wound Irrigation Solution and Prontosan Wound Gel (B. Braun Medical Inc., US) on adults with hard-to-heal leg wounds. Overall change (weeks 1–5) in the Global Quality of Life scale (GQOL), changes in body, psyche and everyday life (EDL) quality of life (QoL) subscores, and changes in wound appearance and size after treatment were assessed. Method: In this prospective, open-label, single-arm, five-centre study, non-hospitalised patients with no more than two wounds below the knee were recruited into the study; wounds were ≥5cm2 and ≤50cm2 and present for ≥4 weeks. The investigator or a designee applied the wound solution and gel to the wounds at clinic visits, and patients/caregivers applied the wound solution and gel at home. Wound-QoL questionnaires were completed at the initial screening and at each week of treatment. Wound size and photographs were obtained at pre- and post-treatment during clinic visits. Results: A total of 43 patients were enrolled in the study. Mean GQOL scores decreased by 1.11 (46.1%). Body, psyche and EDL decreased by 1.17 (60.0%), 1.26 (41.8%) and 1.00 (42.2%), respectively. Wounds also showed improvement in odour, appearance and size. Adverse events were mild in intensity and transient in nature. Conclusion: This study demonstrated marked improvement in the QoL of patients with hard-to-heal leg wounds below the knee during four weeks of treatment with the wound solution and gel. Wounds also showed improvement in odour, appearance and size, and the treatment solution and gel were well tolerated. Declaration of interest: B. Braun Medical Inc. funded the research and preparation of this article. AK, DV, CRC and WC are employees of B. Braun Medical Inc. AO and RS declare no conflict of interest.

Compare the Incidence of Surgical Site Infection after Appendectomy Wound Irrigation with Normal Saline and Imipenem Solutions

Objective: To compare the incidence of surgical site infection after appendectomy wound irrigation with regular saline solution and imipenem solution. Study Design: Comparative randomized control trial Place and Duration of Study: Department of Surgery Unit-1, Sandeman Provincial Hospital Quetta from 1st September 2020 to 30th April 2021. Methodology: Eighty patients of both genders were presented in this study. Patients detailed demographics age, sex and body mass index were recorded after taking informed written consent. Patients underwent for appendectomy wound irrigation were included. Patients were equally divided into two equal groups, I and II. Group I had 40 patients and received imipenem and group II irrigated with saline solution with 40 patients. Outcomes were surgical site infection, deep abscess formation was observed post-operatively. Results: The mean age of the patients in group I was 26.11±2.03 years with mean BMI 23.61±3.32 kg/m2 and in group II mean age was 25.14±3.12 years with mean BMI 22.14±4.88 kg/m2. In group I, 32 (80%) patients had inflamed appendix, perforated appendix was in 7 (17.5%) and gangrenous appendix in 1 (2.5%) while in group II inflamed appendix in 34 (85%), perforated appendix in 4 (10%) and gangrenous appendix 2 (5%). Surgical site infection in group I was 3 (7.5%) and abscess formation in 2 (5%) cases while in group II SSI in 6 (15%) and abscess formation in 3 (7.5%) cases. Conclusion: Imipenem irrigation after appendectomy reduces wound infection. Healthcare costs and patient suffering due to infection can be reduced. Keywords: Imipenem solution, Wound irrigation with saline, Appendectomy wound infection