Does the Alexis wound retractor increase the risk of blood splashes to the eyes? Early closure of a double blinded randomised controlled trial

摘要

Blood splashes to the eye during surgery create a risk to the surgeon and other theatre staff for the transmission of blood-borne infections,especially HIV and hepatitis B or C [1].The Alexis wound retractor is commonly used during abdominal surgery. It is a double ring polyurethane retractor, consisting of two plastic ringsjoined by a flexible plastic sleeve. It provides effective retraction of the wound and protects the wound from infection [2–9]. However, when theretractor is removed (by unrolling the outer ring of the retractor), there is a risk that blood droplets are sprayed into the air which may increase therisk of blood splashes to the surgeon or assistant's eyes.The purpose of this study was to determine whether the use of the Alexis retractor for abdominal surgery leads to an increased risk of bloodsplashes to the surgeon's or assistant's eyes.