Both 10% povidone-iodine and aqueous 4% chlorhexidine gluconate are equally effective for preventing postsurgical infections among patients requiring surgery for open fractures, according to a study published in The Lancet. Gerard Slobogean, MD, and colleagues compared the effects of both antiseptics in 1,683 adults treated with a surgical fixation implant for an open extremity fracture at one of 14 hospitals. A surgical site infection occurred in 59 of 787 participants randomly assigned to the povidone-iodine group and 58 of 784 randomly assigned to the chlorhexidine gluconate group (OR, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.74-1.65). “Many surgeons prefer to use povidone-iodine skin preparation for open fractures because of its wide availability as an effective aqueous solution,” Dr. Slobogean said in a statement. “Our findings should reassure surgeons that either antiseptic solution is fine to use, and they can base their decision on product availability, cost, or patient contraindications.”
