A comparison of the outcome of Gun Shot Wounds with and without skin closure in terms of wound healing time and wound infection.

Abstract

Objective: To compare the outcome of Gun Shot Wounds with and without skin closure in terms of wound healing time and wound infection. Study Design: Comparative Study. Setting: East Surgical Ward Mayo Hospital Lahore Pakistan. Period: 6 Months (from 1st January 2020 to 30th June 2020). Material & Methods: Sample size of 300 patients was used by consecutive convenient non probability sampling. Patients were divided into Group A and Group B with 150 patients in each group by lottery method. Group A patients underwent wound debridement and primary skin closure while group B patients underwent wound debridement and wound packing. Outcome was measured in terms of wound healing time and wound infection 24 and 48 hours post operatively. P-value less than 0.05 was taken as significant. Results: Two hundred and fourteen (n=214,71.33 %) patients were male and 86 (28.66 %) were female with mean age of 32 ± 7.56 years. The wound healing time in Group A patients was 6 days ± 2.18 days while in group B it was 13 days ± 3.87 days (P value 0.01). After 24 hours, Frequency of wound infection was 43 (14.3%) in Group A patients while 31(10.3%) in Group B patients (P value = 0.19). Similarly, after 48 hours wound infection rate was 17 (5.6%) in Group A while 11 (3.6%) in Group B (P value = 0.42). Conclusion: Applying skin stiches on Gun Shot Wounds after sufficient debridement and irrigation leads to early healing of the wound.