The effect of skin antisepsis after primary skin closure on the incidence of surgical site infection after abdominal surgery for sepsis: A preliminary report of a randomised controlled trial

Abstract

Background: The role of skin antisepsis after skin closure in abdominal surgery for sepsis is not well reported. This study assessed the  effect of skin antisepsis following primary skin closure on surgical site infection (SSI) after contaminated and dirty abdominal surgery.   

Methods: This was a randomised controlled trial involving adult patients undergoing laparotomy for sepsis. Patients were randomised  into a Control (C) group where the wound edge was cleaned once with 70% isopropyl alcohol before being covered with a dry sterile  gauze dressing and a Povidone-iodine (PI) group in whom the wound edge was cleaned once with 70% isopropyl alcohol, then covered with a 10% povidone iodine-soaked gauze dressing. Both groups were compared for the presence of SSI. Statistical significance was set at  a p value of <0.05.

Results: Thirty-seven patients (C group = 18; PI group = 19) were recruited. The median age was 36 years  (Interquartile range, IQR = 72) with a male-to-female ratio of 2.7:1. The overall incidence of SSI was 48.6% (n = 18), comparable between the C group (n=10, 55.6%) and PI group (n = 8; 42.1%) (p = 0.413). In-hospital mortality rate was 10.8 % (n = 4), equally distributed between  the groups (p = 1.000). The length of hospital stay was 8 days (IQR = 15) in the C group and 7 days in the PI group (IQR =9) (p =  0.169).

Conclusion: In laparotomy for sepsis, skin antisepsis after primary skin closure had no effect on the incidence of surgical site  infection.