Related Experiment Videos
Hair apposition technique for scalp laceration repair: a randomized controlled trial comparing physicians and nurses
Marcus Eng Hock Ong1, Yiong Huak Chan, Josephine Teo
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore 169608, Singapore. marcus.ong.e.h@sgh.com.sg <marcus.ong.e.h@sgh.com.sg>u
Objectives:
The hair apposition technique (HAT) is a new method of closing scalp lacerations in which hairs on either side of the wound are twisted together and secured with a tissue adhesive. We aimed to compare the effectiveness, complications, and benefits of HAT performed by nurses or doctors in a randomized, prospective trial.
Methods:
We conducted the study in the ED from November 2002 to February 2005. Subjects were randomized to receive HAT either by doctors or nurses. All wounds were evaluated 7 days later. The outcomes wound infection, wound healing, bleeding, and overall complications were measured, setting +/-5% in the differences of the outcomes between the doctors and nurses as equivalence.
Results:
There were 88 and 76 patients in the doctor and nurse groups, respectively. There were no significant differences in all short-term outcomes between the doctors and nurses except for length of the procedure. The doctors had a shorter mean duration of procedure than the nurses (9.0 +/- 5.6 vs 12.8 +/- 7.5 minutes, P = .001).
Conclusion:
The HAT can be safely performed by trained nurses with equivalent outcomes as doctors.