Unless there is any complication, don’t renew the dressing of the surgical site in the first 48 hours after surgery.

Unless there is any complication, don’t renew the dressing of the surgical site in the first 48 hours after surgery.

Type of practice

Other health practices

Age

Adult, Geriatric

Topic Area

Nursing

The dressing of the surgical wound is always source of debate for what concerns: methods, materials and frequency of renewal.Currently, replacing the dressings positioned in the operating room during the first day, i.e. before 24 hours from placement, is routinely. Leaving the dressing in place for 48 hours after surgery is the gold standard to limit infection and complications of the surgical site and to promote the natural tissue regeneration.

Sources

1. Mestral C., Nathens AB. Prevention, diagnosis and management of surgical site infection: relevant considerations for clinical care medicine. Crit Care Clin. 2013; 29(4):887-94.
2. Smith MA, Dahlen NR, Bruemmer A, Davis S, Heishman C. Clinical practice guideline surgical site infection prevention. Orthop Nurs. 2013; 32(5) 242-248.
3. Spagnolo AM, Ottria G, Amicizia D, Perdelli F, Cristina ML. Operating theatre quality and prevention of surgical site infections. J Prev Med Hyg. 2013;54(3):131-7.
4. Neuman D, Grzebieniak Z. Surgical site infection--the authors' own prospective research. Pol Przegl Chir. 2014 ;86(1):26-32.
5. Bergs J, Hellings J, Cleemput I, Zurel Ö, De Troyer V, Van Hiel M, Demeere JL, Claeys D, Vandijck D. Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of the World Health Organization surgical safety checklist on postoperative complications. Br J Surg. 2014; 101 (3) 150-158.

Attention. Please note that these items are provided only for information and are not intended as a substitute for consultation with a clinician. Patients with any specific questions about the items on this list or their individual situation should consult their clinician.