Is There a Best Surgical Skin Prep Agent?

In a multicenter Swiss trial, povidone iodine was noninferior to chlorhexidine gluconate for preventing surgical site infections.

Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) alcohol-based solutions are key preparations for skin antisepsis to prevent surgical site infections (SSIs) in developed countries based on WHO recommendations and results of several meta-analyses. Due to concerns that microbial resistance may emerge with CHG's broad use in healthcare settings (and that the quality of prior research on its efficacy in the surgical setting has been relatively weak), investigators at three medical centers in Switzerland conducted a cluster-randomized crossover noninferiority trial to compare the efficacy of CHG-alcohol and povidone-iodine-alcohol skin antisepsis for preventing SSIs following abdominal or cardiac surgery. The study enrolled 3360 patients in 1-month cluster periods…

Reviewing Author

Richard T. Ellison III, MD

Disclosures

Consult/Advisory BoardAcurx Pharmaceuticals, LLC;

Grant/Research SupportDoctors Company Foundation, Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Richard T. Ellison III, MD

Disclosures

Consult/Advisory BoardAcurx Pharmaceuticals, LLC;

Grant/Research SupportDoctors Company Foundation, Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Is There a Best Surgical Skin Prep Agent?

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Reviewing Author