title: Effect of chlorhexidine pretreatment on bacterial contamination at rhinoplasty field.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study investigated on bacterial contamination of the rhinoplasty field. The effect of preoperative chlorhexidine treatment on decreasing bacterial contamination in the rhinoplasty field is examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty patients who underwent rhinoplasty were block randomized into a chlorhexidine, regular-soap, or control group comprising ten participants each. The chlorhexidine group was subjected to chlorhexidine showering, shampooing, and facial-cleansing 12 h prior to the operation. The regular-soap group was subjected to cleansing with regular soap, and the control group did not have any skin pretreatment. Bacterial cultures were done 12 h preoperatively from nasal cavity and perinasal skin, immediately preoperatively from perinasal skin and at 1 and 2 h intraoperatively from operation field. Culture results were compared between the three groups, according to operation time, or whether infection-prone procedure was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The bacterial species and colony-forming unit numbers at preoperative nasal cavity and perinasal skin were similar. In all three groups,Coagulase-negative staphylococcuswas the most common bacteria found in the rhinoplasty field. The numbers ofStaphylococcus aureusandCorynebacteriumdecreased rapidly after preoperative chlorhexidine treatment. The infection-prone procedure was associated with increased bacterial numbers over time during the operation. In all three groups, there was no postoperative infection in a follow-up period of 6 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rhinoplasty is confirmed as a clean contaminated operation with skin flora consistently found in the operation field. Chlorhexidine pretreatment in rhinoplasty patients has a tendency to decrease the numbers ofStaphylococcus aureusandCorynebacteriumon the perinasal skin.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized controlled trial, Level I.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University Medical Center, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Shin Hye
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Keng Lu
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Boramae Medical Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 20 Boramae-ro 5-gil, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Yeon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Boramae Medical Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 20 Boramae-ro 5-gil, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Dae Woo
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Boramae Medical Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Boramae Medical Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 20 Boramae-ro 5-gil, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hong-Ryul
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Jin
keywords: Chlorhexidine; Culture; Infection; Pretreatment; Rhinoplasty