What's the right time for dressing in a cesarean wound? Early versus late dressing removal in cesarean wound

Abstract

Background: This study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of early versus late dressing removal in cesarean wounds.Method: Five hundred females, aged between 18 to 40 years who were admitted in a tertiary care center and underwent (both emergency and elective) were included in the study. Two study groups were formed after randomization: Early dressing removal group in which wound dressing was removed after post cesarean section day-4 and Late dressing removal group in this dressing was removed after 8th day post cesarean section. Each group had 250 cases. The primary outcome was incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) in both groups. The secondary parameters like duration of wound healing and hospital stay were studied. Result: The incidence of superficial SSI (%) was significantly less in early removal group of 84% cases (p= <0.001). The duration (in days) required for complete wound healing (6.6 in early dressing removal group versus 10.6 in late dressing removal group; p<0.001) was statistically significant. The length of postoperative hospital stay (days) was significantly less in early removal group (5.6 versus 10.08; P=<0.001). Conclusion: Early removal of dressing significantly reduces the incidence of superficial SSI in clean cesarean wound. It facilitates early wound healing and shorter hospital stay. Thus, improves quality of life and reduces financial burden.