[The golden period for suturing of traumatic wounds]

Traumatic lacerations are a common reason for seeking care at the emergency departments. Clinical guidelines for treatment of traumatic lesions are not the same at all hospitals. Traumatic lacerations are often sought to be sutured within six hours which is characterized as the "golden period". However, this rule is based on an animal experiment conducted by Paul Leopold Friedrich in 1898. Several studies have confirmed that delays in wound closure rarely cause infection as summarised in this review. Wound length and depth, contamination of the wound and diabetes are found to be risk factors for wound infection.