Cotton swab reduces hospital infections

LOS ANGELES, June 28 (UPI) -- Probing of a wound with a dry cotton swab after hospital surgery dramatically reduced infections in post-operative incision sites, U.S. researchers say.

Dr. Shirin Towfigh, a Cedars-Sinai Medical Center surgeon, says a trial showed only 3 percent of patients who had the daily probings with the cotton swab contracted infections, compared to 19 percent of those who didn't have wound probed.

About 500,000 surgical site infections commonly occur when patients have "dirty" or contaminated wounds after a trauma, bowel surgery or perforated appendicitis.

Why this technique prevents surgical site infection is unclear, but Towfigh and colleagues said wound probing allows contaminated fluid trapped within soft tissues to drain, reducing the bacterial burden while maintaining a moist environment needed for successful wound healing.

"This practice was introduced to me as a surgical resident 15 years ago," Towfigh said in a statement. "I've used it routinely since then. While I thought all surgeons were aware of this treatment approach, I learned otherwise. Since it was evident to me that probing certain wounds after surgery resulted in far fewer infections, I developed this clinical trial so that my colleagues across the country could learn about -- and confidently adopt -- the practice."

The findings are published in the Archives of Surgery.