Findings

What do systematic reviews say?

10 questions · 10 findings · 5 reviews · Headline outcomes only

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No studies found 0 · 0%GRADE not reported 0 · 0%Very low 1 · 10%Low 4 · 40%Moderate 4 · 40%High 1 · 10%

Negative pressure wound therapy vs standard dressing

Surgical site infection · adult patients with surgical wounds healing by primary closure

Negative pressure wound therapy probably leads to lower surgical site infection (proportion of participants in each group… compared with standard dressing (moderate certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Negative pressure wound therapy for surgical wounds healing by primary closure 2022 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
RR 0.73 [0.63, 0.85]
44 studies · 11403 participants
Moderate

Shaving vs clipping

Surgical site infection · surgical patients

Shaving probably leads to higher surgical site infection (SSI) compared with clipping (moderate certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Preoperative hair removal to reduce surgical site infection 2021 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
RR 1.64 [1.16, 2.33]
7 studies · 3723 participants
Moderate

Shaving vs cream

Surgical site infection · surgical patients

Shaving probably leads to higher surgical site infection (SSI) compared with cream (moderate certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Preoperative hair removal to reduce surgical site infection 2021 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
RR 2.28 [1.12, 4.65]
9 studies · 1593 participants
Moderate

Depilatory cream vs no hair removal

Surgical site infection · surgical patients

Depilatory cream showed no clear difference in surgical site infection (SSI) compared with no hair removal (low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Preoperative hair removal to reduce surgical site infection 2021 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
RR 1.02 [0.45, 2.31]
1 study · 267 participants
Low

Clipping vs no hair removal

Surgical site infection · surgical patients

Clipping showed no clear difference in surgical site infection (SSIs) compared with no hair removal (low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Preoperative hair removal to reduce surgical site infection 2021 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
RR 0.95 [0.65, 1.39]
3 studies · 1733 participants
Low

Hair removal the day before surgery vs hair removal on the day of surgery

Surgical site infection · surgical patients

Hair removal the day before surgery showed no clear difference in surgical site infection (SSIs) compared with hair removal on the day of surgery (low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Preoperative hair removal to reduce surgical site infection 2021 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
RR 0.83 [0.54, 1.3]
1 study · 977 participants
Low

Shaving vs no hair removal

Surgical site infection · surgical patients

Shaving probably leads to higher surgical site infection (SSIs) compared with no hair removal (moderate certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Preoperative hair removal to reduce surgical site infection 2021 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
RR 1.82 [1.05, 3.14]
7 studies · 1706 participants
Moderate

Intervention not reported

Surgical site infection (all wound classifications) Inspection of the wound1 ( · Patients undergoing surgery

The intervention leads to higher surgical site infection (all wound classifications) Inspection of… (high certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Use of plastic adhesive drapes during surgery for preventing surgical site infection 2015 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
RR 1.23 [1.02, 1.48]
5 studies · 3082 participants
High

Prophylactic antibiotics vs placebo or no treatment

Surgical site infection · women with urinary stress incontinence undergoing continence surgery

It is very uncertain whether prophylactic antibiotics (single or combined drugs) changes number of surgical site infections (SSIs) before discharge compared with placebo or no treatment (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Prophylactic antibiotics for preventing infection after continence surgery in women with stress urinary incontinence 2022 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
RR 0.56 [0.13, 12.35]
2 studies · 85 participants
Very low

Subcuticular sutures vs transdermal sutures

Surgical site infection · skin closure in non‐obstetric surgery

Subcuticular sutures showed no clear difference in surgical site infection (SSI) Incidence of wound infection compared with transdermal sutures (low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Subcuticular sutures for skin closure in non‐obstetric surgery 2020 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
RR 1.1 [0.8, 1.52]
20 studies · 3107 participants
Low