Efficacy of Chlorhexidine Alcohol over Aqueous Povidone Iodine in Prevention of Surgical Site Infection

Background As it is justified skin flora has a significant role in surgical site infection.20 % of skin flora is beyond the conventional antiseptics hence there is need of a novel & effective antiseptic preoperative skin preparation. This study focuses on efficacy of chlorhexidine alcohol for prevention of surgical site infection. Material & methods Comparative study of 200 patients done at MGM Medical College & Hospital Aurangabad in surgery department patients were randomly divided in group-I (povidone-iodine) & Group-II (Chlorhexidine) done from October 2013 to October 2015 where skin preparation done with respective antiseptics & follow up taken till post-op day 7, the results are analyzed by chi-square test. Results wound infection rates for Group-I was higher (30 %) as compared with Group II (14 %), and bacterial colonization rates in Group I (46.6 %) and in Group II (28.6 %). Conclusion With use of chlorhexidine alcohol surgical site infections were reduced along with significant reduction in bacterial colonization. On the basis of this study we recommend wider use of chlorhexidine alcohol as an effective antiseptic for prevention of surgical site infections.