npj Digital Medicine (Nov 2021)

Remote diagnosis of surgical-site infection using a mobile digital intervention: a randomised controlled trial in emergency surgery patients

  • Kenneth A. McLean,
  • Katie E. Mountain,
  • Catherine A. Shaw,
  • Thomas M. Drake,
  • Riinu Pius,
  • Stephen R. Knight,
  • Cameron J. Fairfield,
  • Alessandro Sgrò,
  • Matt Bouamrane,
  • William A. Cambridge,
  • Mathew Lyons,
  • Aya Riad,
  • Richard J. E. Skipworth,
  • Stephen J. Wigmore,
  • Mark A. Potter,
  • Ewen M. Harrison,
  • TWIST Collaborators

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-021-00526-0
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 4, no. 1
pp. 1 – 9

Abstract

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Abstract Surgical site infections (SSI) cause substantial morbidity and pose a burden to acute healthcare services after surgery. We aimed to investigate whether a smartphone-delivered wound assessment tool can expedite diagnosis and treatment of SSI after emergency abdominal surgery. This single-blinded randomised control trial (NCT02704897) enroled adult emergency abdominal surgery patients in two tertiary care hospitals. Patients were randomised (1:1) to routine postoperative care or additional access to a smartphone-delivered wound assessment tool for 30-days postoperatively. Patient-reported SSI symptoms and wound photographs were requested on postoperative days 3, 7, and 15. The primary outcome was time-to-diagnosis of SSI (Centers for Disease Control definition). 492 patients were randomised (smartphone intervention: 223; routine care: 269). There was no significant difference in the 30-day SSI rate between trial arms: 21 (9.4%) in smartphone vs 20 (7.4%, p = 0.513) in routine care. Among the smartphone group, 32.3% (n = 72) did not utilise the tool. There was no significant difference in time-to-diagnosis of SSI for patients receiving the intervention (−2.5 days, 95% CI: −6.6−1.6, p = 0.225). However, patients in the smartphone group had 3.7-times higher odds of diagnosis within 7 postoperative days (95% CI: 1.02−13.51, p = 0.043). The smartphone group had significantly reduced community care attendance (OR: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.34−0.94, p = 0.030), similar hospital attendance (OR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.28−1.96, p = 0.577), and significantly better experiences in accessing care (OR: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.17−3.53, p = 0.013). Smartphone-delivered wound follow-up is feasible following emergency abdominal surgery. This can facilitate triage to the appropriate level of assessment required, allowing earlier postoperative diagnosis of SSI.