Skin Closure After Resection (SCAR) Multicenter Trial: Evaluating Skin Closure Techniques in Patients with Traumatic Bowel Injury

This multicenter retrospective cohort study evaluates the impact of different skin closure techniques following emergent trauma laparotomy in patients with traumatic bowel injury. Surgical site infection (SSI) is a common complication in this population, and there is significant variability in practice regarding whether wounds are closed primarily, left open, or managed with delayed closure strategies. Current evidence is limited and largely derived from non-trauma populations, leaving uncertainty about optimal management in trauma patients.

The study will include adult trauma patients undergoing operative management for small or large bowel injury within 24 hours of presentation. Standardized data will be collected on patient characteristics, injury severity, operative details, and skin closure techniques, along with short- and longer-term outcomes.

The primary objective is to determine the association between skin closure technique and the development of surgical site infections within 30 days. Secondary objectives include describing variability in closure practices and evaluating the relationship between closure strategy and outcomes such as need for additional interventions, length of stay, readmissions, and mortality. The findings are intended to inform best practices for wound management in trauma laparotomy patients.