Effect of incisional negative pressure wound therapy vs standard wound dressing on deep surgical site infection after surgery for lower limb fractures associated with major …

ImportanceFollowing surgery to treat major trauma–related fractures, deep wound infection rates are high. It is not known if negative pressure wound therapy can reduce infection rates in this setting.ObjectiveTo assess outcomes in patients who have incisions resulting from surgery for lower limb fractures related to major trauma and were treated with either incisional negative pressure wound therapy or standard wound dressing.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsA randomized clinical trial conducted at 24 trauma hospitals representing the UK Major Trauma Network that included 1548 patients aged 16 years or older who underwent surgery for a lower limb fracture caused by major trauma from July 7, 2016, through April 17, 2018, with follow-up to December 11, 2018.InterventionsIncisional negative pressure wound therapy (n = 785), which involved a specialized dressing used to create negative pressure over the …