Objectives: To compare standard management of keeping wounds dry and covered with allowing wounds to be uncovered and wet in the first 48 hours following minor skin excision.
Methods: Prospective, randomised controlled, multi-centre trial testing for equivalence of infection rate. The setting was primary care in regional centre, Queensland, Australia. Eight hundred and fifty seven patients were randomised to either keep their wound dry and covered (n = 442) or remove the dressing and wet the wound (n = 415).
Principal findings: The incidence of infection in the intervention group (8.4%) was not inferior to the incidence in the control group (8.9%) (p < 0.05). The one-sided 95%-confidence interval for the difference of infection rates was [∞ infinity,0.028].
Discussion: The present study suggests wounds can be uncovered and wet in the first 48 hours following minor skin excision without increasing the incidence of infection.
Implications for policy, delivery or practice:
A small research network of 16 general practitioners conducted this study and applied for a PHCRED scholarship as a group. Workshops were held so participants could collaborate to develop design and methods. We tackled a simple question of relevance to primary care using the best methods we could and produced meaningful results. The findings have been accepted for publication in the British Medical Journal.
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