REBEL EM - August 22, 2022 - By Salim Rezaie
Paper: Zwaans JJM et al. Non-Sterile Gloves and Dressing Versus Sterile Gloves, Dressings and Drapes for Suturing Traumatic Wounds in the Emergency Department: A Non-Inferiority Multicentre Randomised Controlled Trial. Emerg Med J 2022. PMID: 35882525 [Access on Read by QxMD]
Clinical Question: Is the use of non-sterile materials (gloves, dressings, and drapes) non-inferior to sterile materials in the rate of wound infection after suturing traumatic lacerations?
Author Conclusion: “Although recruitment ceased prior to reaching our planned sample size, the findings suggest that there is unlikely to be a large difference between the non-sterile gloves and dressings for suturing of traumatic wounds and sterile gloves, dressings and drapes for suturing traumatic wounds in the ED.”
Clinical Take Home Point: Although underpowered, this trial suggests that there is no significant difference between non-sterile gloves/dressings compared to sterile gloves/dressings/drapes in the suturing of traumatic wounds and the risk of infection. Due to the small numbers of patients with diabetes mellitus, immunosuppressed and on corticosteroids, caution should be applied to extrapolating these results in those populations.