A COMPARISON OF THE USE OF PLAIN CATGUT, SKIN TAPES AND POLYGLACTIN SUTURES FOR SKIN CLOSURE - A PROSPECTIVE CLINICAL-TRIAL

A prospective clinical trial was carried out to compare the effect, on wound healing, of the use of polyglactin, plain catgut sutures, or sk in tapes, in the closure of 190 groin crease incisions in children. Th e final outcome variable analysed was uneventful healing, defined as t he absence of wound erythema, induration, discharge, raw areas, stitch sinuses or extrusions, or spreading or thickening of the scar, at fou r successive observation periods, up to 11 months post-operatively. Wo unds closed with polyglactin exhibited a significant advantage over ei ther of the two other methods in the early postoperative period (P= <0 .5). This association diminished over subsequent observation periods. Skin tapes were cheapest and quickest to use, but gave rise to a high incidence of wound problems, particularly early separation of the skin edges. Patient age (P= <0.01 to <0.05) and sex (P <0.01) also exercis ed an effect on wound outcome, particularly at the final observation p oint. The reason for this was not determined. The results of this tria l favour the use of polyglactin sutures over plain catgut and skin tap es in the closure of groin crease incisions in the population studied.