Effectiveness of Prophylactic Negative Pressure Wound Therapy in Preventing Post-surgical Wound Infection of Abdominal Wounds Compared to Conventional Dressing; A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of prophylactic negative pressure wound therapy in preventing post-surgical wound infection of abdominal wounds compared to conventional dressings.

Methodology: This randomized controlled tial was conducted in the Department of General Surgery, Unit-1, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital, Islamabad, from September 2020 to February 2021, using consecutive sampling technique. 120 patients who were planned for elective and emergency abdominal surgeries, were randomly divided into two groups by lottery method. In Group A, the negative suction dressing was applied while in Group B, the post-operatively closed incisional wound site was covered with pyodine dressing. Chi-square test was applied for comparison between both groups on the basis of surgical site infection (SSI) occurrence, abscess, wound dehiscence, and seroma formation. Two sample t-test was applied to compare the length of stay across both groups. A p-value of ?0.05 was considered significant.

Results: SSI developed in 13 out of 120 patients during the follow-up period. SSI developed in 5% of patients in group A and 16.7% of patients in group B (p-value=0.04). The mean length of hospital stay was 9.1 ± 2.9 days in group A compared to 11.2 ± 5.9 days in group B (p-value=0.02). Both groups had no significant difference in abscess formation, seroma formation and wound dehiscence.

Conclusion: The rate of SSI was significantly lower, and the mean length of hospital stay was significantly shorter in patients who were administered negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) compared to those who were applied with conventional dressing with pyodine.