Cleaning wounds before surgery with soap and water is actually less effective than using saline water, report researchers.
The findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, could lead to significant cost savings, particularly in developing countries where open fractures are particularly common.
As part of the study, 2,400 people with open arm or leg fractures had their wounds cleaned with either soap and water or a saline water solution, and one of three different levels of water pressure. Patients were monitored to see who would need to have an additional operation within 12 months because of infection or problems with wound healing.
The researchers found that very low water pressure was an acceptable, low-cost alternative for washing out open fractures, and that the reoperation rate was higher in the group that used soap.
