Comparison between antibacterial coated suture vs standard suture to prevent the surgical site infections

ABSTRACT The surgical site infections (SSI) still represent an open issue, with prolonged hospital staying, major costs for both the healthcare system and the professional insurance. Recent studies enlighten that the use of the antibacterial agent triclosan® is safe. In this observational study we compared two groups of patients undergoing scheduled clean surgery. The considered outcome (absence of SSI) in all patients was assessed after 30 days by a scheduled telephone follow-up, as indicated by the National Group for SSI surveillance protocol. The use of antibacterial sutures allowed better outcomes in preventing the SSI when compared to the standard sutures, even if the results are not statistically significant.