Can Steri-Strips Be Removed to Inspect a Mildly Dehisced Sutured Wound?
Yes, you should remove the Steri-Strips to properly assess the wound, but the definitive management requires re-closure with sutures rather than relying on Steri-Strips alone. 1
Immediate Assessment Protocol
When discovering mild dehiscence under Steri-Strips, you must:
Remove the Steri-Strips completely to perform a thorough wound inspection, as Steri-Strips provide insufficient mechanical support for dehisced wounds and should not be re-applied as sole management 2, 1
Check for infection signs including increasing pain, redness, swelling, warmth, purulent discharge, or foul odor, as these findings will alter your management approach 1
Assess pain severity, since pain disproportionate to the injury indicates deeper complications such as infection or complete wound breakdown requiring urgent intervention 1
Evaluate for systemic signs including fever, chills, or red streaks extending from the wound, which necessitate immediate medical attention 1
Definitive Management Strategy
The evidence strongly supports a specific approach:
Re-closure with sutures is the definitive treatment for clean, non-infected dehiscence, as sutures are significantly superior to tissue adhesives for preventing wound breakdown (RR 3.35,95% CI 1.53-7.33, NNT 43) 2, 1
Use subcuticular continuous sutures when possible, as this technique reduces superficial wound dehiscence compared to interrupted stitches (RR 0.08,95% CI 0.02-0.35) 2, 1
Select 4-0 poliglecaprone or 4-0 polyglactin as your suture material, which retains 50-75% of original tensile strength after 1 week in situ, providing extended wound support 2, 1
Why Steri-Strips Alone Are Inadequate
The evidence demonstrates clear limitations:
Steri-Strips do not improve outcomes when added to sutured wounds, showing no significant difference in dehiscence rates, scar width, or infection compared to sutures alone 2
Tissue adhesives are inferior to sutures for minimizing dehiscence, with a Cochrane review of 2,793 participants confirming sutures as significantly better (RR 3.35,95% CI 1.53-7.33) 2
Re-applying Steri-Strips to dehisced wounds is explicitly discouraged as they provide insufficient mechanical support for wounds that have already separated 2, 1
Assessment of Remaining Sutures
After removing Steri-Strips and inspecting the wound:
Do not remove remaining sutures if dehiscence is present, as the wound lacks adequate tensile strength and requires additional support, not less 1
Premature suture removal causes wound dehiscence due to inadequate tensile strength, which is the exact problem you're already facing 1
Maintain sutures for the full recommended duration: 5-7 days for facial wounds, 10-14 days for trunk/extremities, with high-tension areas requiring the full 14 days 1, 3
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Never delay seeking medical attention if infection signs develop, as early intervention prevents progression to systemic complications 1
Do not attempt to manage dehiscence with Steri-Strips alone, as they cannot provide the mechanical support required for separated wound edges 2, 1
Avoid removing closure materials too early, as this is a primary cause of wound dehiscence 1
Post-Inspection Management
If the wound is clean and non-infected after Steri-Strip removal: