efficacy of normal saline irrigation to prevent surgical site infection

The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of normal saline irrigations to prevent surgical site infection [SSI]. A comparative study. The study was conducted at surgery and gynecology Dept CMH Chunian from 1[st] Jan 2012 to 1[st] Nov 2012. Two hundred clean surgical and gynecological cases were included in the study. Hundred cases which were randomly selected had their wound washed with warm normal saline for 60 sec and then mopped dry with clean swabs. Subcuticular Stitches were applied to all the 200 cases. The surgical wounds were examined on 3[rd] post operative day and then finally on 15[th] post operative day. Patients with wound infection developed pain at the operation site and fever on third post operative day. Wounds were examined for swelling, redness, discharge and stitch abscess. Routine investigations were done as per protocol. Wound swabs were taken for culture and sensitivity. The study was carried out on 200 clean cases [general and gynecological]. They were 130 females and 70 males. The 100 cases whose wounds were washed with normal saline only 1 patient developed wound infection while in the other group who did not had saline irrigations 8 patients out of 100 developed wound infection. The commonest infective organisms were staphylococcus aureus and the other organisms were streptococcus pyogenes, proteus, Klaebsiella, E coli and pseudomonas. No MRSA was detected. In our study washing the wound with warm normal saline for 60 seconds resulted in the wound being infection free. Wound infection is associated with delayed wound healing, prolonged hospital stay and increased economic pressure on the patient and on the state