title: The efficacy of 2% chlorhexidine gluconate in 70% alcohol compared with 10% povidone iodine in reducing blood culture contamination in pediatric patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Blood culture is the gold standard for diagnosis of septicemia. However; false-positive blood cultures are associated with increased health care costs due to unnecessary treatment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of 2% chlorhexidine gluconate in 70% alcohol compared with 10% povidone iodine in reducing blood culture contamination inpediatricpatients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a prospective study of pediatric patients who were admitted at a tertiary-care hospital. Pediatric patients who neededpercutaneous blood cultures were recruitedfrom two general pediatric wards and the pediatric intensive care unit. The authors used 10% povidone iodine as an antiseptic in odd months and 2% chlorhexidine gluconate in 70% alcohol as an antiseptic in even months in obtaining the blood culture samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 1,269 blood culture specimens taken from 821 patients. 654 specimens used 10%povidone iodine as an antiseptic and 619 specimens used 2% chlorhexidine gluconate in 70% alcohol as an antiseptic. The 10% povidone iodine group and the 2% chlorhexidine gluconate in 70% alcohol group had the risk of blood culture contamination of 3.21% (95%CI: 2.00%-4.87%) and 2.28% (95% CI: 1.25%-3.79%) respectively. The risk difference ofblood culture contamination was 0.93% (95% confidence interval: 0. 86-2.72%) with p = 0.31. The most common contamination organism was Coagulase negative staphylococci (68.57%). No adverse skin reactions were observed in both antiseptic solutions groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Use of2% chlorhexidine gluconate in 70% alcohol as an antiseptic seems to reduce the risk of blood culture contamination compared to use of 10% povidone iodine. In addition, neither of the antiseptic solutions resulted in adverse skin reactions.
authors.forename: Auchara
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tangsathapompong
authors.forename: Pornumpa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Banjongmanee
authors.forename: Kengkaj
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Unrit
authors.forename: Paskorn
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sritipsukho
authors.forename: Narisara
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mungkornkaew
authors.forename: Sirinporn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sajak
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000985:Antisepsis / Q000379:methods*; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002710:Chlorhexidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D046508:Culture Techniques; D000431:Ethanol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011206:Povidone-Iodine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D000431:Ethanol; D011206:Povidone-Iodine; C010882:chlorhexidine gluconate; D002710:Chlorhexidine