İstanbul Medical Journal (Jul 2019)
Negative Impact of Postoperative Early Surgical Incision Dressing: A Prospective Observational Study
Abstract
Introduction:Povidone-iodine (Betadine®) is a commonly used solution to prevent surgical site infection in the postoperative period. In this study, time of first dressing after surgery was investigated. Early (second day) povidone-iodine dressing was compared with late (fifth day) dressing in terms of wound healing or inflammation.Methods:The study was conducted in a gynecology clinic between June 2017 and June 2018. The patients who underwent surgery were divided into two groups as early and late dressing. The two groups were compared in terms of wound healing or inflammation. Inflammation was defined as the presence of redness, swelling and serous discharge (non-purulent) at the wound site.Results:The study included 49 women with median incision. Inflammation was observed in 11 patients (22.4%). Mean age (45.7±11.3 vs 49.3±9.5), Body mass index (29.02±5.6 vs 30.89±4.0), rate of diabetic patients (21% vs 36%), rate of hypertensive patients (34% vs 36%), rate of smoking (13% vs 34%), operative time >4 hours (32% vs 63%), and operation category (malign or benign) were not statistically different between patients with normal wound healing and patients with inflammation. Twenty-two patients were dressed with povidone-iodine on postoperative day 2 (early group) and 27 patients were on postoperative day 5 (late group). The incidence of wound inflammation was significantly higher in the early group (11% vs 36%, p=0.035).Conclusion:According to this study, early dressing had no advantage compared to late dressing. In addition, the rate of inflammation in the incision line was higher in the early dressing group. Before epithelialization of the surgical wound is completed, contact of povidone-iodine with the surgical incision wound and subcutaneous penetration of povidone-iodine may adversely affect the wound healing process.
Keywords
