CLINICAL INVESTIGATIONS A Randomized, Controlled Trial Comparing Long-term Cosmetic Outcomes of Traumatic Pediatric Lacerations Repaired with Absorbable Plain Gut versus Nonabsorbable Nylon Sutures

Objectives: To show that the use of absorbable sutures in pediatric traumatic lacerations affords good long-term cosmesis and no increase in complications (infection, de-hiscence rates, and need for surgical scar revision) when compared with wounds sutured with nonabsorbable su-tures. Methods: This was a randomized clinical trial conducted in a pediatric emergency department. Patients 1–18 years of age who presented to the emergency de-partment with lacerations \12 hours old were recruited between January 1999 and December 2001. Exclusion criteria were the following: wounds that could be approximated by tissue adhesives, animal/human bites, gross contamination, puncture/crush wounds, wounds crossing joints, lacerations of tendon/nerve/cartilage, collagen vascular disease, im