American journal of surgery
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The effect of mupirocin dressings on postoperative surgical site infections in elective colorectal surgery: A prospective, randomized controlled trial.
Surgical site infections (SSIs) are the most common nosocomial infection among surgical patients. We hypothesized that mupirocin ointment would decrease SSI rates compared to standard surgical dressings in patients undergoing colorectal surgery. ⋯ Mupirocin (2%) ointment failed to show a benefit compared to standard dressings for postoperative SSI.
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Multicenter Study
Determining the impact of culture on venous thromboembolism prevention in trauma patients: A Southwestern Surgical Congress Multicenter trial.
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains one of the principal causes of morbidity and death in trauma patients that survive the first 24 h. Recent literature on VTE prevention focuses on choice of chemoprophylaxis, specifically unfractionated heparin (UFH) versus low molecular weight heparin (LMWH). This singular focus on a multifactorial process may be inadequate to fully understand the optimal approach to VTE prevention. We hypothesized that variations in care between trauma centers could be used to identify key components of VTE prevention associated with better outcomes. ⋯ Considerable variation in VTE chemoprophylaxis exists among trauma centers. "Best practices" in this area requires further investigation. An expectation of mobility and investment in mobility resources may serve to decrease VTE rates in trauma patients compared to a singular focus on type of chemoprophylaxis administered.