title: Comparison of two different skin preparation strategies for open cardiac surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Surgical site infection (SSI) is a serious complication after cardiac surgery; skin preparation is an important step in the prevention of wound contamination with skin flora. In this study, two different skin preparation strategies (standard povidine iodine cleaning plus plain adhesive drape and microbial sealant (InteguSeal, Kimberly-Clark Health Care, Roswell, GA, USA) were compared in cardiac surgery patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective study included 96 cardiac surgery patients randomized to either a standard plain adhesive drape (28 patients, control group) or a microbial sealant (68 patients, study group). Bacterial isolates were obtained from the wounds in the operating room before the skin incision and after the surgical procedure had ended.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Microorganisms were isolated from 38 patients (39.6%) in the study population. Twenty-seven of these patients were from the microbial sealant group and 11 were from the plain adhesive drape group. No postoperative wound infection was encountered in either group. No statistically significant differences between the two groups regarding the number of patients with microorganism isolation (p = 0.974) or postoperative leukocyte counts and neutrophil granulocyte percentages were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Regarding SSI after cardiac surgery, microbial sealant is equivalent to the standard skin preparation strategy applied with povidine iodine cleaning and a plain adhesive drape.
authors.affiliation: Türkiye Yüksek Ihtisas Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. ohanedan@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Muhammet Onur
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Hanedan
authors.forename: Ertekin Utku
authors.initials: EU
authors.lastname: Ünal
authors.forename: Ayşen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aksöyek
authors.forename: Veysel
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Başar
authors.forename: Sercan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tak
authors.forename: Ufuk
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Tütün
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Işık
authors.forename: Cemal Levent
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Birincioğlu
mesh_terms: D000269:Adhesives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011206:Povidone-Iodine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000269:Adhesives; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D011206:Povidone-Iodine