Vaginal Cleansing Before Cesarean Delivery to Reduce Infection

Vaginal Cleansing Before Cesarean Delivery to Reduce Infection: A Randomized Trial

The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that vaginal cleansing with povidone-iodine solution immediately prior to cesarean delivery reduces postcesarean infectious morbidity.

Cesarean delivery is the most common surgical procedure performed on women in the US; nearly 1.3 million are performed each year. Postoperative infectious morbidity is the most common complication of cesarean delivery. Post-cesarean infectious morbidity is often the result of indigenous vaginal flora that ascend into the uterus at the time of surgery. Thus, reducing vaginal microbial load may reduce post-cesarean infection. However, results from studies assessing the role of vaginal cleansing prior to cesarean have been mixed.

The investigators will perform a randomized controlled clinical trial to test the hypothesis that vaginal cleansing with povidone-iodine solution immediately prior to cesarean delivery reduces postcesarean infectious morbidity.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Women undergoing cesarean delivery after labor at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Inability to obtain consent
• known or suspected allergy to iodine or shellfish
• women with active herpes simplex virus infection