Wound infection in undressed sutured wounds of the hand

Abstract

Abstract A series of 265 sutured hand lacerations in an urban casualty department were grouped randomly into 3 groups: those receiving no dressing, an Elastoplast strip dressing, or a tubegauze dressing. Wounds showing microscopic or macroscopic pus at 10 days were deemed infected. Thirty-six per cent of wounds with no dressing became infected compared with 19 per cent and 16 per cent in the other two groups, this result being statistically significant (P<0.05). The doctor suturing the wound, the age of the patient, and the use of prophylactic Triplopen also appeared to have a statistically significant influence on infection.