Abstract
Use of plastic adhesive drapes during surgery for preventing surgical site infection
Following surgery, up to 30% of wounds may become infected. This complication of surgery may cause distress for the patient and lead to higher treatment costs. Many interventions have been designed to reduce postoperative infections. One of these is the use of a drape which adheres to the skin, and through which the surgeon cuts. It is thought that adhesive drapes prevent germs (which may be on the skin) from entering the open wound. This updated review of over 4000 patients, in seven separate trials could find no evidence that adhesive drapes reduce surgical site infection rates, and some evidence that they may increase infection rates.