A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF INCIDENCE OF WOUND INFECTION BETWEEN PATIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT SUBCUTANEOUS DRAIN IN PERITONITIS

Abstract

Background: Drains are made up of soft, flexible latex rubber or plastic strips and tubes, polyvinyl chloride or silicone multiholed firm catheters. They prevent the collection of serum or blood underneath large undermined areas because they itself may form the channel when it is tubular or it may form a channel in the tissues when it is a strip or ribbon.

Methods: The present study was carried out on 100 patients, admitted in surgical ward of SMS Hospital, Jaipur chosen at random irrespective of age, sex, undergoing contaminated and dirty elective or emergency surgical intervention.

Results: The overall infection rate was 23% in our study. Of the studied Group I (50), documented surgical site wound infection was found in the 7 (14%) and that of Group II (50), it was in 16 (32%) patients.

Conclusion: We conclude from our comparative study between Group I (i.e. subcutaneous drain used) and Group II (i.e. subcutaneous drain not used) that the wound infection is less in group I than group II (group 1-14% v/s 32% in group II). This signifies the rate of incidence of infection get doubled if subcutaneous is not used. Hence subcutaneous drain can prove as an effective device to prevent the wound infection in surgical patients of peritonitis.

Keywords: Suction drain, Wound dehiscence, Wound infection.