Presurgical skin preparation with a novel 2% chlorhexidine gluconate cloth reduces rates of surgical site infection in orthopaedic surgical patients.

BACKGROUND

Postoperative surgical site infections (SSIs) are a common complication of joint surgery. Prevention depends on adequate preoperative skin antisepsis. In previous studies, use of a 2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) no-rinse cloth reduced SSI rates in general surgery patients.

METHODS

Patients admitted for a total joint procedure used a skin antisepsis protocol incorporating 2% CHG no-rinse cloths to do a site-specific wash on the night before surgery and in the holding area just before surgery.

RESULTS

In the 3 quarters before implementation of the protocol, the SSI rate was 3.19%. In the 3 quarters after the 2% CHG cloth was introduced, the SSI rate decreased to 1.59%, representing a 50.16% reduction in SSIs.

CONCLUSIONS

The rate of SSI was cut in half after the introduction of 2% CHG no-rinse cloths in the place of a povidone-iodine (Betadine) skin antiseptic in orthopaedic patients undergoing total joint procedures. Further testing using randomization comparative protocols are required to conclude that the decreased SSI was in fact a direct result of the 2% CHG protocol.