Wound Irrigation with Chlorhexidine Gluconate Reduces Surgical Site Infection in Pilonidal Disease: Single-Blind Prospective Study

0.05% Chlorhexidine Gluconate Irrigation in Trauma/Emergency General Surgical Laparotomy Wounds Closure: A Pilot Study

INTRODUCTION

Patients who undergo exploratory laparotomy (EL) in an emergent setting are at higher risk for surgical site infections (SSIs) compared to the elective setting. Packaged Food and Drug Administration-approved 0.05% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) irrigation solution reduces SSI rates in nonemergency settings. We hypothesize that the use of 0.05% CHG irrigation solution prior to closure of emergent EL incisions will be associated with lower rates of superficial SSI and allows for increased rates of primary skin closure.

METHODS

A retrospective observational study of all emergent EL whose subcutaneous tissue were irrigated with 0.05% CHG solution to achieve primary wound closure from March 2021 to June 2022 were performed. Patients with active soft-tissue infection of the abdominal wall were excluded. Our primary outcome is rate of primary skin closure following laparotomy. Descriptive statistics, including t-test and chi-square test, were used to compare groups as appropriate. A P value <0.05 was statistically significant.

RESULTS

Sixty-six patients with a median age of 51 y (18-92 y) underwent emergent EL. Primary wound closure is achieved in 98.5% of patients (65/66). Bedside removal of some staples and conversion to wet-to-dry packing changes was required in 27.3% of patients (18/66). We found that most of these were due to fat necrosis. We report no cases of fascial dehiscence.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients undergoing EL, intraoperative irrigation of the subcutaneous tissue with 0.05% CHG solution is a viable option for primary skin closure. Further studies are needed to prospectively evaluate our findings.

Effect of 0.05% chlorhexidine gluconate in water on the hydrophilic inflatable penile prosthesis: biocompatibility, adherence, and dip time

BACKGROUND

Rates of infection after inflatable penile prosthesis range from 1% to 3%; however, a new surgical irrigation solution is Food and Drug Administration cleared as antimicrobial wound lavage and appears to be safe for patients and noncaustic during hydrophilic inflatable penile prosthesis (hIPP) dipping and irrigation.

AIM

To evaluate if 0.05% chlorhexidine (CHG) lavage is caustic to the hIPP coating and if dip adherence is dependent on time.

METHODS

Preconnected hIPP devices were tested at a Coloplast research and development laboratory. The devices were soaked in the 0.05% CHG lavage solution or normal saline for 1, 15, 30, and 60 minutes. Subsequently, all parts were dried for 15 minutes in a 35 °C oven. A Congo red dye test was performed following a Coloplast-validated and Food and Drug Administration-cleared test method to ensure product reliability. Implants were then visually inspected for deleterious effects as well as dip coverage. In addition, we evaluated 0.05% CHG lavage solution vs previously published hIPP dipping solutions.

OUTCOMES

0.05% CHG lavage does not appear to damage the hIPP coating, and adherence of this solution is not dependent on dip time.

RESULTS

All components of the preconnected hydrophilic IPPs were tested for coating adherence and defects. All tested IPPs achieved a "satisfactory" coating, meaning a uniform coat without flaking or clumping. Furthermore, there were no noticeable caustic effects or differences in coating adherence between the normal saline-soaked control and 0.05% CHG-coated arms with increasing dip time. A review of the literature for 0.05% CHG lavage solutions vs previously published hIPP dipping solutions revealed that it may have some advantages over previously reported antibiotic solutions.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

This study serves as a foundation to introduce 0.05% CHG lavage to the urologic literature as a potentially new "magic bullet" irrigation.

STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS

Major strengths of the study are that it is the first study of its kind to address the question of what dip duration should be used and whether it is scientifically reproducible. A limitation is the in vitro model, thus needing validation in a clinical setting.

CONCLUSION

0.05% CHG does not appear to negatively affect the hIPP coating or differ in adherence with increasing dip time; however, long-term device performance has not been verified.

Wound irrigation for preventing surgical site infections

Wound irrigation (i.e. washing out a wound before wound closure) aims to reduce the microbial burden by removing tissue debris, metabolic waste, and tissue exudate from the surgical field before site closure. Although it is a popular procedure in every day surgical practice, the lack of procedure standardization, leads to studies with high heterogeneity and often controversial results. Thus, there are studies that advocate its use, while others discourage its implementation in clinical practice to reduce the risk of surgical site infection. The present article reviews the current literature on wound irrigation for preventing surgical site infections. Several irrigants are presented. Chlorexidine is generally considered to be less effective than povidone-iodine, while antibiotics are not that common nowadays, as they require prolonged exposure with the target to act. Hydrogen peroxide has several potential complications, which eliminate its use. Any differences in the incidence of surgical site infections between different irrigants, especially between antibacterial and non-bacterial ones, should be viewed sceptically. More randomized controlled studies are needed to provide better quality of evidence regarding the irrigants' effectiveness and safety.