Summary
Limited data from three retrospective cohort studies suggests that there may be no
significant association between time to debridement and rate of infection in open
long-bone fractures. However, the studies included did not control for possible confounding
factors that may bias study results, such as antibiotic use and fracture type. Methodologically
rigorous studies which control for such factors should be conducted to confirm that
adherence to the 6-hour debridement window does not appear to affect infection rates.
