Early Versus Delayed Bathing of Orthopaedic Surgical Wounds

Recruiting now · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Surgical Wound, Post Operative Wound Infection

In brief

This is a single center randomized control trial assessing the effect of early versus delayed bathing on orthopaedic surgical wounds in patients undergoing surgical treatment of fractures. Patients will be recruited by screening all patients undergoing surgical treatment for fractures at our institution. Patients who provide written consent will be randomized to one of two treatment arms after confirming eligibility criteria. Group A will be advised to begin early normal bathing (non-submerged showering) with uncovered surgical wounds. Group B will be advised to follow traditional delayed bathing with covered wounds. Those who do not wish to participate in the randomized trial will be invited to participate observationally (no randomization) and have the same prospective follow-up.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT06014411

Run by

Hospital for Special Surgery, New York

People needed

56

Starts

2024-01-29

Expected to finish

2026-12-01

Last updated by the study team

2026-03-30

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Patients over 18 years of age
• Patient who are not pregnant
• Isolated acute fractures of the upper or lower extremities (humerus, radius, ulna, femur, tibia, or fibula)
• Diagnosis of a fracture meeting indication for operative intervention
• Any fracture not requiring a splint for post-operative management
• Non-complicated wounds (non-traumatic wounds, closed injuries, fractures not requiring external fixation, and acute fracture surgery)

You may not qualify if…

• Fractures associated with presumed infection
• Patients with multiple fractures
• Fractures in patients with underlying associated immune compromise
• Fractures in patients with underlying peripheral vascular disease
• Use of VAC
• Surgery performed through previous surgical wound
• Patient homeless
• Fractures in patients with underlying diabetes mellitus
• Complicated wounds (traumatic wounds, need for post-op wound care, open injuries, need for external fixation)

Where it is running

• NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center — New York, New York, United States (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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