title: A placebo-controlled trial of the effect of two preoperative baths or showers with chlorhexidine detergent on postoperative wound infection rates.
abstract: The effect of preoperative whole-body washing with chlorhexidine detergent on the incidence of postoperative wound infection was assessed in a placebo-controlled trial of 1989 patients. Patients bathed or showered with chlorhexidine, placebo, or conventional bar soap, on two occasions in the 24 h before operation. The overall infection rate for patients treated with chlorhexidine was 9%, against 12.8% in the bar soap and 11.7% in the placebo groups; in the 'clean' surgery group infections were 7.2% against 10.2% and 10%, respectively. The Staphylococcus aureus infection rate in the 'clean' group was 3% for chlorhexidine against 6% for bar soap.
mesh_terms: D001494:Baths; D002710:Chlorhexidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003902:Detergents / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011897:Random Allocation; D012915:Soaps; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D003902:Detergents; D012915:Soaps; C010882:chlorhexidine gluconate; D002710:Chlorhexidine