Publication of CADTH Review Examining Preoperative Skin Antiseptic Preparations and Application Techniques

The review of the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) on antiseptic skin preparations and application techniques to prevent surgical site infections (SSIs) has been published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology (ICHE).

SSIs can affect up to 20% of patients, depending on the type of surgery, but guidance on preventing SSI through preoperative skin preparation is unclear. Some groups recommend preoperative showering with an antiseptic agent, but some do not. There are several antiseptic agents available and surgical staff may use various methods of applying antiseptic to the skin in preparation for surgery.

CADTH’s review showed that preoperative antiseptic showering reduces skin flora, which may be helpful in preventing SSI, but the data are inconclusive. Evidence shows that the method of antiseptic application is inconsequential, and there is not enough evidence to support the use of one antiseptic over another.

An abstract of the published article is available from PubMed.