Does Saline Irrigation Reduce the Wound Infection in Caesarean Delivery?

Abstract

The aim of this prospective randomised study was to estimate the effect of saline wound irrigation before wound closure in the prevention of infection following caesarean delivery. Participants with indications for elective or emergency caesarean section were randomly allocated to two groups. A total of 260 women who underwent wound irrigation before wound closure and 260 did not. No demographic differences were identified between the groups. There were also no significant differences between the groups in terms of factors known to influence wound infection. The incidence of wound infection was 7.3% for the control group and 6.5% for the saline group; however, the difference was not significant (relative risk: 0.88; 95% confidence interval: 0.45-1.74; p=0.86). In conclusion, saline wound irrigation before wound closure did not reduce the infection rate in patients undergoing caesarean delivery.