SP3.1.15 Prophylactic negative pressure closed wound therapy in patients undergoing laparotomy for any indication is effective in reducing surgical site infection rate: An upgraded meta-analysis of published randomized, controlled trials

Abstract

Abstract Aims Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a significant clinical and economic burden on health-care providers. The patients suffering from SSIs have been reporting poor health-related quality of life leading to psychological implications. The objective of this study to explore the role of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) in general surgical patients undergoing laparotomy and with closed wounds. Methods A systematic review of the randomized, controlled trials reporting the use of NPWT in general surgical patients undergoing laparotomy for any reason published on Embase, Medline, PubMed, PubMed Central and Cochrane databases was performed using the principles of meta-analysis. Results A total of nine randomized, controlled trials on 1238 patients were included in this study. In the random effects model analysis using the statistical software Review Manager, the use of NPWT in patients with closed laparotomy wound was associated with significantly reduced risk of SSIs (odds ratio, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.45, 0.81; z = 3.39; P = 0.0007). However, there was significant heterogeneity (Chi2 = 17.06, df = 8, [p = 0.03]; I2 = 82 %) among included studies. Conclusion The use of NPWT in general surgical patients undergoing laparotomy seems to have proven clinical advantages of reducing SSIs and may routinely be used as a prophylactic tool.