Best Practices and Guidelines for Preventing Infections related to Sutures
Suture infection risks The likelihood of suture-related infections depends on various factors such as the type of suture material used, the surgical site, the patient's health status, and the surgeon's technique. However, some suture materials are more prone to causing infections than others. For example: Absorbable sutures made of natural materials such as catgut or silk have a higher risk of infection compared to non-absorbable synthetic sutures such as nylon or polypropylene. This is because natural materials can harbor bacteria and may break down too quickly, which can lead to inflammation and infection. Halsted,5 in 1913, expressed a strong preference for the use of silk in clean surgical wounds, but stated that it should be avoided in contaminated or infected ones. Whipple,8 in 1933, strongly advocated the use of silk in repair of clean wounds, indicating that the incidence of infection was actually less than when chromicized catgut was used. Monofilament sutur...