Seawater exposure to surgical wounds: an alarming patient perspective

Abstract

surgical wounds to seawater. Anecdotally, this resulted in delayed wound healing or postoperative infection in many patients. However, informal discussion with patients demonstrated a commonly held Abstract Background There is a wealth of microorganisms that are causative for bone and soft tissue infections. Wounds sustained in, or exposed to, marine environments are unique in regards to the spectrum of bacteria encountered in these environments. The senior author observed a high rate of patient-reported exposure of postoperative surgical wounds to seawater. Anecdotally, this resulted in delayed wound healing or postoperative infection in many patients. Methods A prospective patient questionnaire was designed to assess the attitudes and beliefs of Gold Coast residents presenting to orthopaedic outpatient clinic towards seawater exposure of surgical wounds. Data was collected over a 3-month period from August–October 2018; 1,000 competent adult patients completed the questionnaire. Results A total of 29% of the respondents reported to have put their surgical wound in seawater, and 95% of these patients believed that placing their wound in seawater was beneficial to wound healing. Conclusion This study highlights that, in this population of patients, the overwhelming majority believe that seawater is beneficial to them and to their surgical wounds; we therefore need to be more diligent as healthcare providers about educating our patients in regards to proper wound care.