Preoperative antiseptic skin cleansers’ showering is commonly done in elective operations, but its value in reducing surgical wound infections is not clear. A prospective study assessed the influence of Povidone-Iodine preoperative showers on skin colonization in elective plastic surgery procedures.

The study enrolled patients >18 years of age, scheduled for elective and clean plastic surgery procedures on the thorax or abdomen. They were randomized to either the Povidone-Iodine group (n= 57) or to a control group (n = 57). 

Povidone-Iodine group subjects were given a shower with liquid detergent-based Povidone-Iodine 10% 2 hours before surgery, while control group subjects received no special instructions for showering before surgery. Quantitative skin cultures were obtained before the preoperative scrub in the operating room, which was further analyzed. 

The following observations were made-

• The Povidone-Iodine group demonstrated marked lower Staphylococcal skin colonization.
• 33% of the post-shower skin cultures from patients in the Povidone-Iodine shower group showed no microorganism growth compared with 0% of the cultures from patients in the control group. 
• Both groups had small Colonies of fungi and enterobacteria.
• Povidone-Iodine showers showed no marked reduction in skin colonization by these microorganisms.

Thus single preoperative Povidone-Iodine showers can effectively reduce staphylococcal skin colonization before elective clean plastic surgical procedures on the thorax and abdomen.

Source- Plast Reconstr Surg. 2008 Jan;121(1):115-118.  doi: 10.1097/01.prs.0000293861.02825.76.