How well do antibacterial sutures control microbial colonization after oral surgery?

Area of Science:

• Oral Surgery
• Infectious Disease Control
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Surgical site infections remain a concern in oral surgery.
• Antibacterial-coated sutures offer a potential strategy to mitigate microbial colonization.
• Evidence on their efficacy in clinical settings is evolving.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the existing literature on the antimicrobial activity of antibacterial-coated sutures in oral surgery.
• To evaluate the clinical outcomes associated with their use.
• To identify gaps in current research.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was performed in PubMed and Scopus databases (January 2013 - May 2023).
• Human clinical studies investigating antibacterial-coated sutures in oral surgery were included.
• Data extraction and synthesis followed PRISMA-ScR guidelines.

Main Results:

• Five studies (three RCTs) published between 2014-2019 were included.
• Antimicrobial-coated sutures, particularly those with triclosan or chlorhexidine, showed reduced bacterial counts in three studies.
• Two studies found no significant difference; results varied due to methodological differences and small sample sizes.

Conclusions:

• Antibacterial-coated sutures demonstrate potential in reducing bacterial retention in oral surgery.
• Methodological limitations and small sample sizes in current studies hinder definitive conclusions.
• High-quality, large-scale RCTs are required to establish efficacy and cost-effectiveness.