Determining risk factors for surgical wound dehiscence: Development and internal validation of a risk assessment tool

Abstract

Whilst surgical procedures are considered safe, complications such as surgical wound dehiscence (SWD) may occur despite advances in surgical techniques, infection control practices and wound care. A SWD risk assessment tool was developed from identified risk factors based on a review of the literature and a retrospective case control study. A prospective clinical validation of the tool yielded a predictive power of 71% with an interrater reliability of 100%.