Assessing the Effect of the Silver Dressing on Surgical Site Infections in Adult Patients Post Cardiac Surgery: a Single Center Randomized Control Trial

Launched by KING FAISAL SPECIALIST HOSPITAL & RESEARCH CENTER · May 29, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This trial is testing whether using a silver dressing on chest wounds after adult cardiac surgery reduces surgical site infections (SSIs) within 30 days after the operation, compared with standard foam dressings. It’s a randomized, open-label study (participants and care teams will know which dressing is used) being conducted at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. About 145 adults are expected to enroll, and patients will be followed in the ICU, CCU, or cardiology telemetry units to see whether the wound becomes infected.

Eligibility and participation are straightforward: adults 18 or older who are scheduled for cardiac surgery requiring a sternotomy can join, provided they do not have an existing infection and are not on systemic antibiotics beyond perioperative prophylaxis. Exclusions include redo surgeries, open-chest status, emergency procedures, use of ECMO, very heavy bleeding, or an allergy to silver dressings. If enrolled, participants are randomly assigned to receive either the silver dressing or the standard dressing and will be observed for 30 days post-surgery using a simple checklist. The study aims to improve wound care in heart surgery, with completion anticipated by the end of 2026; no personal data will be shared publicly.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Patients 18 years of age and older are scheduled for cardiac surgery requiring a sternotomy incision.
• • Exclusion criteria Presence of a concurrent infection and any systemic antibiotic other than those used for perioperative prophylaxis.
• • Patients who died without an infection within thirty days following surgery. Patients who had undergone another procedure through the same incision(s) within a year after enrollment in this study.
• • Patients who are a redo- such as needing debridement or an infection. Patients who have an open chest Patients on ECHMO Patients excessively bleeding Patients who require the surgery as an emergency Patients with a known allergy to silver dressings
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