Irrigation in facial and scalp lacerations: does it alter outcome?

Annals of Emergency Medicine
J E HollanderA J Singer

Abstract

Animal and human studies suggest that irrigation lowers the infection rate in contaminated wounds, but there is no evidence that this common practice is beneficial for "clean" lacerations. We tested the null hypothesis that there is no difference in the infection rate for noncontaminated lacerations to the face and scalp that are irrigated before primary closure compared with similar wounds that are closed primarily without irrigation. We performed a cross-sectional study of consecutive patients presenting to a suburban, academic emergency department between October 1992 and August 1996. Patients with nonbite, noncontaminated facial skin or scalp lacerations who presented less than 6 hours after injury were included. Structured, closed-question data collection instruments were completed at the time of laceration repair and at suture removal. The primary outcome parameters were the incidence of wound infection and the short-term cosmetic appearance of lacerations in patients who did or did not receive irrigation. A total of 1,923 patients were included in the study group; 1,090 patients received saline irrigation, and 833 patients did not. The irrigation and nonirrigation groups were similar with regard to time from injury to pr...Continue Reading

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Citations

Aug 13, 1998·Annals of Emergency Medicine·W T Zempsky, H Simon
Jul 27, 2002·Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery·Adam J SingerUNKNOWN TraumaSeal Study Group
Jul 4, 2001·Academic Emergency Medicine : Official Journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine·J E HollanderF S Shofer
Jul 28, 2013·World Journal of Emergency Surgery : WJES·Derya OzturkSerhat Akay
Jul 11, 1998·Academic Emergency Medicine : Official Journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine·A J Singer
Apr 23, 2013·Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America·Frank Sabatino, Joshua B Moskovitz
Mar 19, 2013·Atlas of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinics of North America·Chris Crecelius
Nov 21, 2012·Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery : Official Journal of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons·James HoltonAlan Herford
Aug 29, 2012·Journal of Emergency Nursing : JEN : Official Publication of the Emergency Department Nurses Association·Andrew StorerAnnMarie Papa
May 3, 2012·Critical Care Nursing Clinics of North America·Maria E Moreira, Vincent J Markovchick
Sep 11, 2007·Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America·Maria E Moreira, Vincent J Markovchick
Sep 19, 1998·Current Problems in Pediatrics·J T Kanegaye
Dec 20, 2007·Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinics of North America·A Omar Abubaker
Oct 30, 2016·Wilderness & Environmental Medicine·John B LuckSusanne J Spano
Jan 1, 2004·JBI Library of Systematic Reviews·Ritin FernandezCheryl Ussia
Jul 3, 2021·Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinics of North America·Audrey C KoDon O Kikkawa
Aug 25, 1999·Annals of Emergency Medicine·J E Hollander, A J Singer
Dec 20, 2007·Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinics of North America·Robert Gassner
Apr 3, 2007·Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America·Yoko Nakamura, Mohamud Daya
Apr 3, 2007·Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America·James A Pfaff, Gregory P Moore
Aug 21, 2021·Advances in Skin & Wound Care·Matthew Wynn

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