Damage Control Laparotomy Wound Incisions Can Be Closed With Low Rates of Superficial Surgical Site Infections.

Due to high rates of surgical site infections (SSIs) in damage control laparotomies (DCLs), many surgeons leave wounds to heal by secondary intention. We hypothesize that patients after DCL can have their wounds primarily closed with wicks/Penrose drains with low rates of superficial surgical site infections. A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained DCL database was performed for all patients who underwent DCL from January 2016 to June 2018.