Surgical staple trial in accident and emergency

A trial was undertaken at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford to establish if surgical staples were a viable alternative to traditional sutures in wound closure. The trial involved a sample of trained nursing staff using staples in the closure of simple skin lacerations presented at the Accident and Emergency (A & E) department. A questionnaire collected subjective and objective information from staff and patients relating to insertion and removal of the staples. Although there was no comparative data available for sutured wounds, the results indicated that staff were satisfied with the stapler's ease and speed of use. It was concluded that stapling was a viable addition to the choice of skin closure technique, rather than an alternative.