Effects of Showering in 48-72 Hours of Median Sternotomy on Wound Infection, Pain, Comfort and Satisfaction

Sternal wound infections after coronary artery bypass graft surgery through median sternotomy are one of the important, life-threatening complications increasing length of hospital stay, morbidity and mortality and difficult to treat. In addition to adopting asepsis and antisepsis, meeting hygiene needs, an important nursing intervention, plays a role in prevention of sternal wound infections.

Showering is an important hygiene practice. It has been reported that patients should not shower until sutures are removed since traditionally showering is thought to cause infections after surgery. However, not showering after surgery not only has a negative effect on patient comfort but also brings about the risk of infections. Guidelines for prevention of surgical site infections do not involve recommendations about early showering after surgery or keeping surgical wounds closed and dry for a long time after surgery.

In recent years, it has been reported that keeping postsurgical wounds closed and dry is unnecessary and that showering before removal of sutures is not harmful. There have been studies which reveal showering early after surgery does not increase the risk of infections, even decreases pain and has a positive influence on patient comfort and satisfaction. It is thought that postsurgical showering can quicken wound healing by cleaning sweat, dirt, microorganisms and debris and thus can reduce the risk of infections. However, at present, whether showering before removal of sutures affects wound healing is debatable. Despite presence of studies about effects of postsurgical showering on wound healing, there have not been any studies on the impact of showering after CABG surgery through median sternotomy. Lack of evidence about this issue causes difficulty in relevant nursing practices.

The present study was performed to evaluate effects of showering in 48-72 hours after median sternotomy on sternal wound infections, sternotomy related pain and patient comfort and satisfaction.

MATERIALS AND METHODS Study Design and Setting This is a randomized controlled study carried out to evaluate effects of showering in 48-72 hours after median sternotomy on sternal wound infections, pain due to sternotomy and patient comfort and satisfaction. The study was conducted in the cardiovascular surgery clinic with 30 beds at a university hospital in Aegean region, Turkey, between 21 December 2016 and 30 September 2017.

Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria Inclusion criteria were age of over 18 years, having CABG surgery through median sternotomy, removal of the chest tube, having sutures in place and accepting to participate in the study. Exclusion criteria were having reoperation, removal of the chest tube 72 hours after surgery, developing complications including cardiac tamponade, pleural effusion and pneumonia after surgery and going to another hospital for follow-up.

The sample size was based on a power analysis made with PS Software Version 3.0.43.17 Since there was not a study about effects of showering in the early postoperative period after sternotomy, the power of the study based on the mean effect size (alpha=0.50), the confidence interval (CI) of 95% and the significance level of P < .05 was determined as 80%.18 The sample size was found to be 50 patients, of whom 25 assigned the intervention group (shower group) and other assigned the control group. Taking account of possible losses, a higher number of subjects at the rate of 20% was planned to include in the study. As a result, each group included 30 subjects. However, four patients, of whom one decided not to shower, one developed sternal instability, one died of aspiration pneumonia on the tenth day of surgery and one went to another hospital for follow-up, were excluded from the shower group. Five patients, of whom one had reoperation on the 13th day due to cardiac tamponade, one died of cardiopulmonary arrest on the 14th day and three went to another hospital for postoperative follow-up, were excluded from the control group. The study was completed with 51 patients, of whom 26 were in the shower group and 25 were in the control group.