Comparison of Wound Healing With and Without Dressings

IT IS NOT unusual, while making routine surgical rounds, to find that the dressing covering the inferior angle of an inguinal hernia wound has been dislodged, exposing this portion of the wound. About three years ago, one of us (C. J. H.) became curious about the healing of these exposed wound areas and noted that differences in wound healing between covered and uncovered areas were sometimes in favor of the uncovered portion. Soon thereafter several inguinal hernia wounds were left completely uncovered except for the loose placement thereon of a sterile towel for an hour or two at the conclusion of the operation. These wounds healed as well as those having the customary dressings. Mengert and Hermes¹in 1949 reported similar experiences in the handling of gynecological abdominal wounds. Before using this method more extensively, it seemed advisable to determine on experimental animals how quickly and effectively clean operative