Timing of Wound Dressing Removal After Emergency Cesarean Section: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction Previously, cesarean wound dressing was usually removed 48 hours after surgery, but recent data have shown that early removal is not detrimental. However, this practice is derived mainly from trials involving scheduled cesarean delivery. This study was designed to investigate the effect of wound dressing removal after emergency cesarean section during labor. Materials and methods The study was a randomized controlled trial recruiting women with a singleton, term pregnancy in the active phase of labor. The main objective was to determine the incidence of wound complications when the wound dressing was removed at 24 and 48 hours after surgery. Other outcomes of interest were the maximum pain score and the timing of showering after cesarean delivery. Results A total of 294 women were initially recruited, and data for 291 were available for final analysis. There was no significant difference in the general, labor, and surgical characteristics. The incidence of wound complications was 4.1% and 7.5% (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.19-1.5; p = 0.217) in women who had dressing removal at 24 and 48 hours after surgery, respectively. There was also no difference in maximum pain score after surgery or timing of showering related to wound dressing removal. Conclusions Early wound dressing removal, at 24 hours after surgery, in women who had emergency cesarean delivery during labor, is not associated with an increased incidence of wound complications. This result could support the practice of early discharge after cesarean delivery.