Effects of a plastic wound drape on contamination with enterobacteria and on infection after appendicectomy.

The preventive effects of a plastic wound drape (Vi-drape) on wound contamination and subsequent infection was investigated in 289 appendicectomies randomized into treatment and control groups. Samples for quantitative culture of enterobacteria using a simple technique were obtained from the drape, the wound under the drape and from the wounds of patients being operated without the drape. The drape reduced the number of wound bacteria by an average of 94% or 1.2 logarithms. The overall rate of postoperative wound infection was 7.6% in the treatment group and 9.1% in the control group (N.S). Evidence is presented that the drape might prevent infection in patients with contaminated operations.