Abstract
Purpose: To investigate the efficacy of wound irrigation for surgical site infection (wound infection) prophylaxis and the effects of dermal suturing on wound infection.
Methods: In patients aged ≤15 years who underwent surgery for perforated appendicitis, a comparison was conducted between patients for whom wound irrigation was performed (treated between 2005 and 2011; irrigation group, n = 52) and patients for whom wound irrigation was not performed (treated between 2002 and 2004; non-irrigation group, n = 13). Full-thickness suturing was performed in all patients until September 2006, where dermal suturing was initiated due to sustained absence of wound surgical site infection following the implementation of wound irrigation.
Results: Significantly fewer cases of wound infection were observed in the irrigation group (n = 2, 3.8%) than in the non-irrigation group (n = 4, 31%). In the irrigation group, full-thickness and dermal suturing were performed in 15 and 37 patients, respectively. No significant difference in wound infection rates was observed by the suture type, with 1 patient of each suture type developing wound infection in the irrigation group.
Conclusion: Wound irrigation may be effective for wound infection prophylaxis in patients with surgery for appendicitis. Furthermore, dermal suturing does not increase the risk of surgical site infection.
