Wet-to-dry vs Petrolatum & Non-stick Dressings After Hidradenitis Suppurativa Surgery
Condition: Hidradenitis Suppurativa; Surgical Wound
MeSH terms: Hidradenitis Suppurativa; Hidradenitis; Surgical Wound
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, severe, inflammatory skin disease associated with
      pain, drainage, odor, and disability characterized by recurring abscesses, nodules, and
      tunneling sinuses in intertriginous locations such as the groin, buttocks, and axillae. HS
      has more negative impact on patients' quality of life than all other common dermatologic
      diseases and is common, affecting ~1% of the general population, with higher risk for females
      (3:1) and Black patients. The onset is often in adolescence. As HS has been under-studied
      historically, there is an unmet medical need to develop more effective treatment for this
      disease. While many patients are managed with medications and lifestyle modifications alone,
      a subset of HS patients benefit from surgical intervention. Proper wound care following HS
      surgery is paramount, as facilitating proper healing and minimizing infection can prevent
      post-operative complications, morbidity and the need for future procedures. While many
      physicians continue to use wet-to-dry dressings as the standard of care for HS patients
      post-operatively, it is likely that the drawbacks of this dressing technique outweigh the
      benefits. This study hopes to answer the question of whether or not wet-to-dry dressings
      should truly be standard of care or whether an alternate form of wound dressings, such as
      petrolatum with non-stick bandaging, is at least equitable if not superior in effect, and
      associated with fewer drawbacks such as associated pain and time dedicated to dressing
      changes. This study will be a randomized, single-blind trial of two postoperative bandaging
      techniques: wet-to-dry dressings vs. petrolatum with non-stick bandaging. Primary outcomes
      will be tracked using the photographic wound assessment tool (PWAT), pressure ulcer scale of
      healing (PUSH) tool, and Wound Quality of Life (QOL) Survey. There is potential for this
      study to apply to surgical interventions outside of HS, as the study addresses the bandaging
      technique (wet-to-dry) that is standard of care after many surgical procedures.
    


Intervention name(s): Wet-to-Dry Dressings; Petrolatum with Non-Stick Gauze
Intervention type(s): Device; Device
Intervention description(s): This dressing technique involves moistening a piece of gauze with normal saline or other cleansing solution, placing the moistened gauze on the wound, allowing the gauze to dry, and then removing and replacing the bandage regularly over a period of days to weeks; This dressing approach involves applying a thick layer of petrolatum to the wound once or twice daily to maintain a moist wound base. After placement of petrolatum, the wound is covered with nonadherent gauze and tape or another bordered dressing.
Intervention MeSH terms: Petrolatum
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: This study will be a randomized, blinded trial of two postoperative bandaging techniques: wet-to-dry dressings vs. petrolatum with non-stick bandaging.
Masking: Triple (Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Supportive Care