Randomized clinical trial of preoperative skin antisepsis with chlorhexidine gluconate or povidone–iodine

Background Skin antiseptic agents are used to prevent surgical-site infection (SSI); few trials have reported the superiority of any specific agent in clean-contaminated abdominal surgery. This RCT was designed to compare the effectiveness of chlorhexidine gluconate and povidone–iodine. Methods Consecutive patients who underwent clean-contaminated upper gastrointestinal or hepatobiliary–pancreatic open surgery between 2011 and 2014 were assigned...