Role of Closed Suction Drain in the Prevention of SSI in Elective Surgery

Background: Presence of haematoma, serous fluid, and dead space in a wound increase the risk of infection as they act as a culture media. Multiple options had been mentioned to reduce these risks. We tried to assess the incidence of SSI following placement of closed suction drains following elective surgeries. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in the Department of General Surgery, IPGMER & SSKM Hospital, Kolkata from January 2016 to June 2017. Patients who were given a subcutaneous suction drain after an elective general surgical procedure were included in the study. Patients unwilling to take part in the study, patients from paediatric age group, on steroids, with Class 4 wounds and those underwent Laparoscopic Surgery were excluded. Outcome was measured in the form of presence or absence of SSI and data was analysed. Results: No statistically significant decrease of incidence of SSI was found in terms of different age, sex, socio-economic status, duration of hospital stays, smoking or alcoholism. Increased incidence of SSI was detected among Diabetics even after using closed suction drainage. Conclusion: Placement of closed suction drain did not significantly reduce incidence of SSI following elective general surgical procedures.