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Do plastic adhesive drapes prevent post caesarean wound infection?
H R Ward1, O G Jennings, P Potgieter
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Tygerberg Hospitals, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa. hrgward@telusplanet.net
The Journal of Hospital Infection
|March 15, 2001
Summary
Plastic adhesive drapes did not prevent post-caesarean wound infections in a randomized trial. The study found no significant difference in wound sepsis rates or hospital stay between groups using or not using drapes during caesarean sections.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Surgical Infection Prevention
Background:
- Post-caesarean wound infection (PCWS) is a significant complication following caesarean section (CS).
- Preventive measures are crucial to reduce maternal morbidity and healthcare costs associated with CS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of intraoperative plastic adhesive drapes in preventing post-caesarean wound infections.
- To assess the impact of drapes on the length of hospital stay for patients undergoing CS.
Main Methods:
- Prospective, randomized, controlled, double-blind trial involving 620 patients undergoing CS.
- Patients were assigned to either receive (test group, N=305) or not receive (control group, N=300) plastic adhesive drapes.
- Primary outcome: incidence of post-caesarean wound infection; Secondary outcome: postoperative hospital stay duration.
Main Results:
- Wound sepsis occurred in 11.1% of the test group (34/305) and 10.1% of the control group (30/298), a statistically non-significant difference.
- Average postoperative hospital stay was similar for both infected and non-infected cases across the test and control groups.
- No significant difference in infection rates or hospital stay was observed between the groups.
Conclusions:
- Intraoperative use of plastic adhesive skin drapes does not significantly reduce the incidence of post-caesarean wound infections.
- The use of these drapes did not lead to a shorter postoperative hospital stay for patients who developed wound infections.