To dress or not to dress surgical wounds? Patients' attitudes to wound care after major abdominal operations
Persson, M.; Svenberg, T.; Poppen, B.
European Journal of Surgery 161(11): 791
1995
ISSN/ISBN: 1102-4151 PMID: 8749210 Document Number: 454452
Objective: To find out what patients' attitudes were to wound care after abdominal operations to ensure that patients' own views were not violated by introducing a new method of wound care. Design: Randomised study. Setting: University hospital, Sweden. Patients: 68 consecutive patients operated for benign gastrointestinal disease. Interventions: Patients were randomised to have their abdominal wounds dressed or exposed. On their last day in hospital their attitudes were assessed by visual analogue score and questionnaire. Main outcome measures: Attitudes to wound care. Results: There were no differences between the two groups in any of the variables studied. The visual analogue scores for postoperative pain were higher than had been anticipated. Conclusion: Most patients do not mind whether their wounds are covered with a dressing or not after abdominal operations.