Does earlier bathing increase the risk of surgical site infection? A meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled trials

For many decades, patients recovering from wound closure have been instructed not to bathe. Although studies have shown that earlier postoperative bathing does not increase the risk of wound infection, it remains rare in practice for patients to be allowed earlier postoperative bathing. We performed this meta-analysis to determine how earlier bathing affected rates of wound infection, other complications, and patient satisfaction.

This systematic review conforms to PRISMA guidelines. The PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from their inception dates to December 31, 2022. We estimated pooled values for the efficacy of trial of earlier bathing versus delayed bathing using the odds ratio and their associated 95% CI, and we used the I 2 statistic to assess heterogeneity between studies contributing to these estimates.

Of the 1813 articles identified by our search, 11 randomized controlled trials including 2964 patients were eligible for inclusion. The incidence of wound infection did not differ significantly between the earlier bathing and delayed bathing groups, nor did rates of other wound complications such as redness and swelling, or wound dehiscence. However, the incidence of hematoma in the delayed bathing group was higher than in the earlier bathing group. Reported patient satisfaction was significantly higher in the earlier bathing group.

The medical community, health authorities, and government should create and disseminate clinical practice guidelines to guide patients to evidence-based beneficial treatment.