Tissue Adhesive Versus Suture Wound Repair at 1 Year: Randomized Clinical Trial Correlating Early, 3-Month, and 1-Year Cosmetic Outcome, , ,

Study Objective: To compare the 1-year cosmetic outcome of wounds treated with octylcyanoacrylate tissue adhesive and monofilament sutures and to correlate the early, 3-month, and 1-year cosmetic outcomes. Methods: We prospectively randomized 136 cases of traumatic laceration to repair with octylcyanoacrylate tissue adhesive or 5-0 or smaller monofilament suture. A wound score was assigned by a research nurse, and validated by a second nurse blinded to the treatment, at 5 to 10 days after injury (early), 3 months, and 1 year. Standardized photographs were taken at 3 months and 1 year and shown to a cosmetic surgeon blinded to the method of closure, who rated the wounds on a validated cosmesis scale. Results: We were able to examine 77 lacerations at 1 year for follow-up. No differences were found in the demographic or clinical characteristics between groups. Likewise, at 1 year no difference was found in the optimal wound scores (73% versus 68%, P =.60) or in visual analog scale cosmesis scores (69 versus 69 mm, P =.95) for octylcyanoacrylate and sutures, respectively. Agreement was poor between early and 3-month wound scores (κ=.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], .10 to .58) but a strong association existed between 3-month and 1-year wound scores (κ=.71; 95% CI, .52 to .90). We noted a moderate correlation between 3-month and 1-year results on the visual analog cosmesis scale (intraclass correlation, .48; 95% CI, .30 to .63). Conclusion: One year after wound repair, no difference is noted in the cosmetic outcomes of traumatic lacerations treated with octylcyanoacrylate tissue adhesive and sutures. The assessment of wounds 3 months after injury and wound repair provides a good measure of long-term cosmetic outcome. [Quinn J, Wells G, Sutcliffe T, Jarmuske M, Maw J, Stiell I, Johns P: Tissue adhesive versus suture wound repair at 1 year: Randomized clinical trial correlating early, 3-month, and 1-year cosmetic outcome. Ann Emerg Med December 1998;32:645-649.]