Objective: Tissue adhesives have recently been approved for skin closure. Their low viscosity may result in inadvertent migration. The authors compared the tendency of the adhesive to migrate after laceration closure with a high- or low-viscosity octylcyanoacrylate (OCA).
Methods: This was a randomized, clinical trial set in university and community-based emergency departments. Participants included patients with simple traumatic lacerations. Patients were randomized to laceration closure with low- or high-viscosity OCA tissue adhesive. The outcome measured was immediate adhesive migration (interobserver agreement, kappa = 0.90). Data analysis was performed with proportions compared with chi-square and Fisher's exact tests.
Results: Eighty-four patients were randomized to low- (n = 42) or high- (n = 42) viscosity OCA tissue adhesive. Groups were similar in baseline patient and wound characteristics. The high-viscosity OCA was less likely to migrate than the lower-viscosity agent (21% vs. 78%, p < 0.001; odds ratio = 0.3, 95% confidence interval = 0.1 to 0.5). The proportion of patients who noted a sensation of heat during OCA application was higher in the high-viscosity groups (44% vs. 26% respectively, p = 0.11); however, all such patients in both groups would use the device again. At 14 days, there were no wound infections in either group. There was one dehiscence in the high-viscosity group.
Conclusions: The high-viscosity OCA tissue adhesive was less likely to migrate than the lower-viscosity device. Wound dehiscence and infection rates were acceptably low in both treatment groups.