Dressing Wear Time after Reduction Mammaplasty: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Date
2012-01-01Author
Veiga-Filho, Joel
Veiga, Daniela F. [UNIFESP]
Sabino-Neto, Miguel
Damasceno, Carlos A. V.
Sales, Edilaine M. L.
Garcia, Edgard S.
Oliveira, Israel B.
De Simoni, Leandro F.
Juliano, Yara
Ferreira, Lydia M.
Type
ArtigoISSN
0032-1052Is part of
Plastic and Reconstructive SurgeryDOI
10.1097/PRS.0b013e3182361ee9Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Background: This randomized controlled trial was designed to assess whether dressing wear time could influence surgical-site infection rates and skin colonization. Patients' perception at self-assessment was also analyzed.Methods: Seventy patients undergoing reduction mammaplasty were randomly allocated to group I (dressing removed on postoperative day 1) or group II (dressing removed on postoperative day 6). Surgical-site infections were defined by standard criteria from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Skin colonization was assessed by a culture of samples collected at predefined time points. Patients scored dressing wear time in regard to safety, comfort, and convenience.Results: Nine patients (12.9 percent) had an infection, seven from group I and two from group II (p = 0.09). There was no difference between the groups in regard to skin colonization before dressing, but on postoperative day 6, there was higher skin colonization by coagulase-negative staphylococci in group I (p = 0.000). If they had the choice, 66 percent of the patients in group I would choose to keep the dressing for 1 day, whereas 83 percent of the patients in group II would prefer to keep the dressing for 6 days (p = 0.000). Patients in group II also considered keeping the dressing for 6 days a safer choice (p < 0.05).Conclusions: There was no difference in surgical-site infection rates between groups, but higher colonization levels were observed in group I on postoperative day 6. Most of the patients would choose to keep dressing for 6 days postoperatively, which was perceived as a safer choice. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 129: 1e, 2012.)
Citation
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, v. 129, n. 1, p. 1E-7E, 2012.Collections
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