Deferred primary closure in emergency laparotomized patients with SENIC index ? 3 points.

Abstract

Surgical site infections pose a challenge in the hospital setting. Delayed primary closure has emerged as a technique to prevent such infections. This research aims to explore the benefits of delayed primary closure in reducing infections, hospital stay, and costs, thus improving clinical outcomes in abdominal surgeries.

Objectives

To evaluate delayed primary closure in emergency laparotomized patients with SENIC index ? 3 points at the University Hospital of Mérida, Venezuela.

Methods

A prospective experimental study was conducted to assess the effects of delayed primary closure compared to primary closure in exploratory laparotomies. The sample consisted of 160 patients. The presence of infections, duration of hospital stay, and temporal evolution of infections were analyzed as study outcomes.

Results

Delayed primary closure was found to reduce the presence of infections compared to primary closure. Transoperative cleaning and the diagnosis of infectious surgical acute abdomen were beneficial factors. Continuous postoperative antibiotic therapy was also more effective. A 37% reduction in the risk of infection was observed in the experimental group compared to the control group.

Conclusions

Delayed primary closure significantly reduces the probability of surgical site infection in abdominal surgeries with contaminated wounds. It is a beneficial technique for patients with infectious surgical acute abdomen. Additionally, delayed primary closure proves cost-effective by reducing both the incidence of surgical site infections and the duration of hospital stay.