Effects of applying povidone-iodine just before skin closure.
Many surgeons apply povidone-iodine (PVP-I) to the skin around an incision before closing a wound to reduce wound infection rates. However, the effectiveness of this procedure has not been proven. Forty-seven cases of gastric surgery and 60 cases of colorectal surgery performed at Kanto Medical Center between July 2004 and December 2004 were randomly assigned to the group with PVP-I or the group without PVP-I. Wound infection and surgical site infection (SSI) rates were compared between these two groups. Applying PVP-I was effective in eliminating skin contamination, as cultures became negative in all cases after applying PVP-I. However, this study could not demonstrate the reduction of wound infection or SSI in the group with PVP-I, possibly because the number of cases in this study was too small to make a difference. Subcutaneous tissue contamination was considered a more important factor than skin contamination in causing wound infection.
Department of Surgery, Kanto Medical Center, NTT EC, Tokyo, Japan. harihara@kmc.mhc.east.ntt.co.jp
Yasushi
Y
Harihara
Toshiro
T
Konishi
Hiroyoshi
H
Kobayashi
Kaoru
K
Furushima
Kei
K
Ito
Tamaki
T
Noie
Satoshi
S
Nara
Kumi
K
Tanimura
D000287:Administration, Topical; D000368:Aged; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007420:Intestine, Large / Q000601:surgery; D007430:Intraoperative Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011206:Povidone-Iodine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013270:Stomach / Q000601:surgery; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D011206:Povidone-Iodine