The effectiveness of fascial closure with antimicrobial-coated sutures in preventing incisional surgical site infections in gastrointestinal surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy of fascial closure using antimicrobial-sutures specifically for the prevention of surgical site infections (SSIs) in gastrointestinal surgery, as part of the revision of the SSI prevention guidelines of the Japanese Society of Surgical Infectious Diseases (JSSI). We searched CENTRAL, PubMed and ICHUSHI-Web in May 2023, and included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing antimicrobial-coated and non-coated sutures for fascial closure in gastrointestinal surgery (PROSPERO No. CRD42023430377). Three authors independently screened the RCTs. We assessed the risk of bias and the GRADE criteria for the extracted data. The primary outcome was incisional SSI and the secondary outcomes were abdominal wall dehiscence and the length of postoperative hospital stay. This study was supported partially by the JSSI. A total of 10 RCTs and 5396 patients were included. The use of antimicrobial-coated sutures significantly lowered the risk of incisional SSIs compared with non-coated suture (risk ratio: 0.79, 95% confidence intervals: 0.64-0.98). In subgroup analyses, antimicrobial-coated sutures reduced the risk of SSIs for open surgeries, and when monofilament sutures were used. Antimicrobial-coated sutures did not reduce the incidence of abdominal wall dehiscence and the length of hospital stay compared with non-coated sutures. The certainty of the evidence was rated as moderate according to the GRADE criteria, because of risk of bias. In conclusion, the use of antimicrobial-coated sutures for fascial closure in gastrointestinal surgery is associated with a significantly lower risk of SSI than non-coated sutures.

Adherence to a home-based exercise program and incidence of cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes patients

The aim of this study was to examine the association between adherence to a home-based exercise program and the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with type 2 diabetes. We investigated 102 patients with type 2 diabetes aged 35 to 75 years, and followed them prospectively for 17.2 months. Before enrollment, all patients received a traditional exercise prescription. The exercise program consisted of a daily walking exercise at home for 20 - 30 minutes. Self-reported adherence to the exercise program and the incidence of CVD were confirmed by information obtained from telephone interviews. There were 38 dropouts among the patients in the exercise program. Dropouts were significantly younger than completers. The rate of obesity was significantly higher among the dropouts than among the completers. No differences were observed between the two groups for gender, history of CVD and other clinical characteristics. During the follow-up, we documented 8 new cases of CVD. The incidence of CVD during the follow-up was 1.56 percent among the program completers and 18.4 percent among the dropouts. Adherence to the home-based exercise was inversely related to the incidence of CVD (p < 0.01). These associations persisted after adjustment for age and other covariates. In conclusion, adherence to an exercise program is associated with a reduced incidence of CVD among patients with type 2 diabetes.