title: A comparison of the effects of preoperative whole-body bathing with detergent alone and with detergent containing chlorhexidine gluconate on the frequency of wound infections after clean surgery. The European Working Party on Control of Hospital Infections.
abstract: In a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 27 surgical units in six European countries, the effect of preoperative whole-body bathing on two occasions with a detergent containing chlorhexidine (CHX+) on the incidence of wound infection in elective, clean surgery was compared with two bathings with a detergent without chlorhexidine (CHX-). In the CHX+ group 2.62% of 1413 patients and in the CHX- group 2.36% of 1400 patients subsequently became infected. The infection rate in the CHX+ group was 1.11 times that in the CHX- group with 95% confidence limits ranging between 0.69 and 1.82. Consequently, bathing patients twice preoperatively with chlorhexidine-detergent did not reduce the incidence of infection of clean wounds.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001494:Baths; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002710:Chlorhexidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003902:Detergents; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000592:standards*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D003902:Detergents; D004202:Disinfectants; C010882:chlorhexidine gluconate; D002710:Chlorhexidine