Disposable Versus Reusable DrApes and Gowns for Green OperatiNg Theatres

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM · Dec 1, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is comparing two types of surgical covers—disposable versus reusable drapes and gowns—to see which option is better at preventing infections after surgery. The study involves multiple hospitals and aims to determine if using disposable drapes and gowns is just as effective as using reusable ones when it comes to keeping patients safe from infections during and after surgery.

To participate in this trial, patients must be 10 years or older and have at least one surgical incision that is 5 centimeters or longer for adults, or 3 centimeters or longer for children under 16. This includes patients having both planned surgeries and emergency surgeries. If a patient has a smaller incision or is undergoing a procedure that is considered clean (not likely to cause infection), they won't be eligible for this trial. Participants can expect to be randomly assigned to either the disposable or reusable group, and their recovery will be monitored to see how well each option helps prevent infections. This trial is currently recruiting participants, so there is an opportunity for eligible patients to contribute to important research in surgical safety.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion criteria:
• • Patients with at least one incision that is ≥5cm in adults and ≥3cm in children aged under 16 years. This can include both open and minimally-invasive surgery providing at least one incision meets this criteria.
• • Patients with a clean-contaminated, contaminated, or dirty surgical wound. Definitions of contamination are given in Table 2.
• • Patients undergoing emergency (surgery on an unplanned admission) or elective (surgery on a planned admission) surgery.
• • Any operative indication (including caesarean section).
• • Patients aged 10 or over.
• • Exclusion criteria
• • Adults with an incision \<5 cm and incision \<3cm in children aged under 16 years.
• • Patients undergoing procedures with a clean surgical wound only.