Cut the Cost: Basic Dressings versus Advanced Dressings in Reducing Surgical Site Infections

Abstract

Surgical site infections (SSIs) present a serious threat to the well-being of post-surgical patients, resulting in as many as 8,205 fatalities per year in the United States and increased medical costs for both patients and institutions involved (Spratt et al., 2012). This evidenced-based practice project investigated the question: “In surgical patients, how do advanced dressings compared to basic dressings affect the rate of SSIs?”. An extensive search of the Cochrane, Medline, and CINAHL databases was conducted, and 54 articles were reviewed. The literature review examined a meta-analysis containing 16 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and one, individual RCT. The findings indicated that there is no difference in the rate of SSIs when using basic versus advanced dressings. Therefore, nurses should use the less expensive, basic dressings over advanced dressings when providing care to post-surgical patients. Additional research should continue to be conducted on this topic.