Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Does triclosan in sutures reduce infection after dog knee surgery
By Oberhaus, Alicia N & McFadden, Michael S·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2023·Houston Mobile Veterinary Surgery, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prospective, randomized, double blind comparison of suture materials with and without triclosan in dogs undergoing tibial plateau leveling osteotomy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 116 dogs undergoing surgery for knee problems (cranial cruciate ligament disease) had their incisions closed with either regular sutures or special sutures treated with triclosan, an antibacterial agent. The study found that only 5.35% of dogs with triclosan sutures developed infections, compared to 19.64% of those with regular sutures. This suggests that using triclosan-impregnated sutures can significantly reduce the risk of surgical site infections after knee surgery in dogs. If your dog is having a similar procedure, ask your vet about using triclosan sutures for better protection against infections.
People also search for: dog knee surgery infection · triclosan sutures for dogs · cranial cruciate ligament disease treatment
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To determine if triclosan-impregnated suture decreases surgical site infection rates after tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) in dogs. SAMPLE POPULATION: There were 116 dogs with naturally occurring cranial cruciate ligament disease presenting for treatment with TPLO. PROCEDURES: Written consent was obtained by all clients in order to be included in this study. Dogs were randomly assigned a suture type immediately before the start of anesthesia. Infection rates were compared between the suture groups, as were the gender, duration of anesthesia, duration of surgery, age of dog, weight, length of incision, and stifle side. Direct examination by a veterinarian was conducted at 24 h, 10 to 14 d, and 8 to 12 wk after surgery. If the dogs did not return for direct examination, owners were contacted by a veterinarian and phone interviews were conducted. RESULTS: Overall, 12.9% of the incisions were diagnosed with a surgical site infection (SSI). The SSI rate for dogs that received the triclosan suture was 5.35% (3/56), and the rate for dogs that received the regular suture was 19.64% (11/56), with= 0.016. The duration of anesthesia, duration of surgery, age, weight, length of incision, and rightleft stifle did not show a significant difference in infection rates. The suture type did have a significant effect, and triclosan-impregnated suture had a decreased infection rate when compared to regular suture. Gender also had a significant effect, with= 0.032. CONCLUSION: Triclosan-impregnated suture decreased SSI when used for closure in dogs undergoing TPLO. Triclosan-impregnated suture may be considered a material of choice to close surgical wounds at risk of SSI when implants are used.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37265808/