Original Article

Postoperative Surgical Chest and Leg Incision Sites Using Platelet Gel: A Retrospective Study

^* Hospital Clinical Services Group, HCA Wesley Medical Center, Wichita, Kansas
^† Wichita Surgical Specialists, Wichita, Kansas
^‡ Harris Health Care, Wichita, Kansas

Address correspondence to: Susan J. Englert, RN, BSN, CNOR, CCP, Hospital Clinical Services Group, HCA Wesley Medical Center, 1635 Bower Drive, Wichita, KS 67230. E-mail: sjenglert@cox.net

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the application of platelet gel (PG) on cardiac surgery wound incisions would promote wound healing and reduce the subsequent incidence of postoperative infections, thereby decreasing the length of hospital stay and hospital costs. Previous work has shown increased incisional healing effect among coronary artery bypass graft patients who received platelet gel. A 1-year retrospective review of 128 cardiac surgery patient charts was performed to determine the clinical impact on those patients whom received platelet gel applications (treatment group) and those whom did not receive platelet gel applications (control group). The outcomes measured were (i) total length of stay, (ii) the incidence of incision wound infection, and (iii) postoperative blood loss. The treatment group had significantly shorter intensive care unit and total length of stays and experienced less postoperative blood loss compared with the control group. In addition, the treatment group had no reported incisional wound infections; however, four patients (3.16%) in the control group experienced incision wound infections. This study was a descriptive chart review and not a controlled study. Our findings support previous research that platelet gel seems to positively influence incisional wound healing among those who undergo cardiac surgery.