DELAYED PRIMARY WOUND CLOSURE IN UPPER EXTREMITY SOFT-TISSUE INFECTIONS

Health care costs for inpatient care have been escalating, Homeless an d indigent patients may be unable to have access to clean toilet facil ities to perform adequate wound care, Evaluation of delayed primary cl osure of upper extremity soft tissue infections after incision and dra inage in 34 patients was done, Patients were discharged at an average of 8.3 days (range, 5-21 days), This is 11 days less than the reported average granulation time far wounds to heal, No patient required read mission for surgery, wound care, or intravenous antibiotics, The autho rs' institution charges a rate of $2800 per patient day, A potential s avings of $1,047,200 was realized.