The Use of 2% Chlorhexidine Gluconate Impregnated Cloth Bathing in Preoperative Skin Preparation

Surgical Site Infection and the Use of 2% Chlorhexidine Gluconate Impregnated Cloth Bathing in Preoperative Skin Preparation: a Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial.

To compare the use of towels impregnated with 2% chlorhexidine gluconate in the traditional preoperative bath with 2% chlorhexidine gluconate in preventing the occurrence of surgical site infection among patients undergoing potentially contaminated elective surgery.

This is a pilot randomized controlled clinical trial, composed of patients submitted to potentially contaminated elective surgeries, randomly assigned to an intervention group, consisting of those who used towels impregnated with pre-operative CHG 2% and control group, composed of by the pre-operative bath with 2% conventional / liquid CHG. Both used the products the night before and the morning of surgery and received verbal and written guidance.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 years of age or over
• literate
• undergoing potentially contaminated elective surgeries
• admitted on the day before the surgical treatment or in the triple three-day hospital stay prior to surgery, without an infectious or otherwise infected process
• correctly follow the instructions for the use of towels impregnated with chlorhexidine gluconate 2%
• follow the instructions for the use of chlorhexidine gluconate 2%

Exclusion Criteria:

• submitted to previous surgeries, in a period of less than thirty days, or ninety days in the case of a prosthesis implant
• present skin lesions or known allergy to chlorhexidine gluconate 2%
• patients submitted to videolaparoscopic surgeries and vaginal surgeries
• patients who had daily use of products containing antiseptics (creams and / or liquid or bar soaps containing CHG, triclosan or similar) in their daily activity; or who had used antibiotics or similar drugs two weeks before and during the period of data collection.