Biffi, R., Fattori, L., Bertani, E., Radice, D., Rotmensz, N., Misitano, P., . . . Nespoli, A. (2012). Surgical site infections following colorectal cancer surgery: A randomized prospective trial comparing common and advanced antimicrobial dressing containing ionic silver. World Journal of Surgical Oncology, 10, 94.
To determine if ionic silver surgical dressings could reduce the incidence of surgical site infection in adult patients undergoing elective laparotomy for colorectal cancer
Subjects randomly were assigned to have their surgical wound covered with either an ionic silver dressing (AQUACEL® Ag Hydrofiber®) or a common dressing. To achieve blinding for patients, nurses, and medical staff, both groups had an additional layer of a common dressing applied by scrub nurses over the main dressing. Patients were monitored for surgical site infection for 30 days postoperatively.
The authors evaluated the primary outcome of surgical wound infection. Patient characteristics were similar across the two study arms. Surgical wound infection rates were lower in the arm receiving the antimicrobial dressing. This was true with respect to grade 1 versus grade 2 and 3, and grade 1 and 2 versus grade 3. However, the difference in infection rates was not great enough to be of statistical significance (p = 0.623).
Infection rates were slightly lower in the experimental group, but not enough to be statistically significant.
Patients having rectal surgery for cancer are at higher risk for surgical wound infection compared to colon surgery. Novel antimicrobial dressings may help reduce infection rates, but further study is needed.