Preoperative skin antisepsis using chlorhexidine may reduce surgical wound infections in lower limb trauma surgery when compared to povidone-iodine - a prospective randomized trial

Background For the prevention of surgical wound infections (SSIs), local microorganism counts can be lowered by skin antisepsis prior to surgical incisions. Until now, it has been unclear which antiseptic is the most effective. Methods This prospective randomized trial analyzed the efficacy of 2 frequently used agents in the reduction of postoperative wound complication rates after aseptic trauma surgery on the lower leg and foot. In the study,...