Evolution of the surgical wound in patients undergoing total knee replacement surgery, using four different types of wound dressing

Section: Originals

Authors

Cristina Farré Escofet1, Jéssica Martínez Castillejo1, Gracia Ginés Mateos2, Rosa Marina Fernández2, Mª Teresa Faura Vendrell3, Aroa Herrero Delgado4

Position

1Máster en Curas Enfermeras en Atención Primaria. Hospital Clínic de Barcelona2Diplomada en Enfermería. Hospital Clínic de Barcelona3Doctora en Ciencias Enfermería. Hospital Clínic de Barcelona4Postgrado de Enfermería en Cirugía General y Especialidades. Hospital Clínic de Barcelona

Contact address

Cristina Farré Escofet. Hospital Clínic de Barcelona. C/ Villarroel, 170. 08036 Barcelona.

Contact email: cfarre@clinic.cat

Abstract

Objective: to assess the evolution of surgical wounds in patients undergoing total knee replacement surgery, using four different types of wound dressing.
Method: an observational study on surgical patients with total knee replacement, from the Knee Orthopedic Surgery Unit of the Hospital Clínic (Barcelona). The first day after the procedure, the nurse treated the surgical wound (SW) and applied one dressing of the four used for the study. Each wound dressing was allocated to a 25-patient group. There was an assessment of time of permanence of the dressing, development of complications (phlyctena, dehiscence, exudate), comfort for the patient, and ease of application for the nurse. Evaluation measures were taken at seven days after the procedure, at the time of treatment in the outpatient unit. There was descriptive analysis, with frequencies, mean, and standard deviation (SD).
Results: one hundred (100) patients were recruited. The mean time (SD) of permanence was higher for dressing 1: 6.34 (1.56). Surgical wound complications were lower with dressing 4 (1 phlyctena, no dehiscence). SW moderate/heavy exudate was lower with dressings 1 and 4 (16% in both cases). The nurse valued the ease of application for dressings 1, 2 and 4, in 100% of patients. The patients in the dressing 1 group reported higher comfort (96%), while the worse assessment was made by the subjects in the dressing 4 group (76%).
Conclusions: wound dressings 1 and 4 have shown a higher number of favorable items (time of permanence, ease of application, lower number of complications), with special relevance from the point of view of patient comfort, superior with dressing 1 vs. dressing 4.

Keywords:

Knee replacement surgery; replacement; knee; occlusive dressings; infection; surgical wound; wounds

Versión en Español

Título:

Evolución de la herida quirúrgica en pacientes intervenidos de artroplastia total de rodilla en los que se utilizaron cuatro tipos de apósitos distintos