Evaluation of technology for preventing surgical site infection

Vanessa de Brito Poveda, Associate Professor, School of Nursing at the Universidade de São Paulo. São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

Surgical site infections affect the recovery of patients and exert impact on the health and lives of those affected, requiring that health professionals seek alternatives to prevent the occurrence of this event. According to the article Chlorhexidine gluconate-impregnated cloth in prevention surgical site infection: pilot randomized clinical trial, there was no benefit from the use of chlorhexidine gluconate- impregnated disposable cloths in the preoperative preparation of the skin of patients who would undergo conventional gastrointestinal, gynecological and urological surgeries.

The study was performed by nurse Fernanda de Oliveira Andrade during her Master’s course in the Postgraduate Program in Adult Health Nursing-PROESA at the School of Nursing at Universidade de São Paulo, under the guidance of Professor PhD Vanessa de Brito Poveda, and published in the Acta Paulista de Enfermagem journal.

In her study, Andrade sought to clarify if antiseptic-impregnated cloths could be a strategy to help prevent surgical site infections.

Through a randomized clinical trial, surgical patients were divided into two groups, one of them received conventional care consisting of bathing and preparing the skin with chlorhexidine. In the other group, in addition to the care described, a chlorhexidine gluconate-impregnated cloth was also applied as an extra layer of protection.

The study results revealed no difference in the number of cases of infection between the two groups. In light of these results, hospitals may carefully appreciate the need for financial investment in this new technology with the purpose of preventing surgical site infections.

Image: authors (2023).

English version of the text in the picture above:

Objective: To compare the use of 2% chlorhexidine gluconate-impregnated cloth and 2% liquid chlorhexidine gluconate in the preoperative skin preparation to prevent the occurrence of surgical site infections in patients undergoing clean-contaminated elective surgeries.

Methods: Parallel, single-blind, pilot study of the randomized clinical trial (RCT). 48 patients underwent clean-contaminated elective surgeries. Intervention group: 2% chlorhexidine gluconate-impregnated cloth. Control group: pre-operative bathing with 2% liquid chlorhexidine gluconate. Primary outcome: surgical site infection within 30 days after surgery.

Results: 16.7% of 48 patients analyzed developed a surgical site infection. There were no statistically significant differences between groups regarding the incidence of surgical site infection (RR: 95% CI: 0.25-3.25; p=0.898). There were no cases of superficial incisional surgical site infection in the intervention group.

Conclusion: The use of 2% chlorhexidine gluconate-impregnated cloth for preoperative skin preparation did not reveal a statistically significant difference in the prevention of surgical site infection compared to the use of pre-operative bathing with 2% liquid chlorhexidine gluconate.

To read the article, access

ANDRADE, F.O. and POVEDA, V.B. Chlorhexidine gluconate-impregnated cloth in prevention surgical site infection: pilot randomized clinical trial. Acta Paul Enferm [online]. 2023, vol. 36, eAPE01862 [viewed 23 May 2023]. https://doi.org/10.37689/acta-ape/2023AO01862 . Available from: https://www.scielo.br/j/ape/a/9LnMtxCgcrndPCKj6gK3qqf/?lang=en

External links

Acta Paulista de Enfermagem – APE: https://www.scielo.br/j/ape