[ efficacy of suction drainage in surgical operations of long bone fractures in orthopedics]

ABSTRACT

In this experimental trial, 133 patients with single long bone fracture requiring surgery, admitted in Shahid Mohammadi hospital [Bandar Abbas/Iran] from June 2002 to April 2003, were randomly divided into 2 groups. In the first group [72 individuals], after the completion of the operation a single hemovac drain was inserted, while in the second group [61 patients] no drain was used. The 2 groups had no statistically significant difference in regard to age, sex and antibiotic use before and after the operation [P>0.05]. At the end of the 6-month follow up period the difference between the 2 groups in regard to analgesic demand in the 1st post-operative 48 hours, the need for dressing change in the 1st post-operative 24 hours because, of wetness, hematoma formation and post-operative infection was not statistically significant [P>0.05]. According to these results it seems that hemovac drain is not effective in these aspects