[Correlation between postoperative duration of Redon drainage and wound healing. A study of 150 patients with total...

The influence of the residual application of postoperative wound suction drainage devices on wound healing was examined in 150 patients with total hip replacement. The duration of continuous wound-draining as well as their bacterial contamination were analysed and the possible correlation was evaluated. Another aim of the study was to observe if the bacteriologic result is a proper method to obtain evidence about the wound situation. The 150 patients were divided in 3 groups. Two groups (of 50 patients each) had total hip replacement at the same time period. One group had postoperative wound complications or infection that had to be reoperated. The other 50 patients had normal wound healing without any complication. The third group of 50 patients with a shorter draining period was analysed and compared with the others. As a control factor the indication for operation, the sex and the age of the patients were similar in each group. We could show an increasing number of bacteriological contamination in drainage tubes which had a longer suction period than 3 days. In the reoperated group we found a significantly higher number of contaminated tips (37.4%) than in the groups with uncomplicated wound healing (8% and 2.8%). The comparison of the bacteriological examination of the drainages with the smear of reoperated wounds showed the same constellation of germs in 64.3% of the cases. It seems to be a good method to get information about the bacterial wound conditions.