Veiga 2009.
Methods | RCT. Power calculation: no. Follow‐up period: 30 days. | |
Participants | Adult patients, scheduled for plastic surgery at a University‐affiliated hospital in Brazil. Exclusions: hypersensitivity to chlorhexidine, presence of skin lesions, antibiotic use at time of surgery, diabetes, heavy smoking, immunosuppression. |
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Interventions | Group 1: shower with liquid‐based detergent containing 4% chlorhexidine; Group 2: shower with the same liquid‐based detergent, without chlorhexidine; Group 3: no preoperative showering instructions were given. Patients in Groups 1 and 2 were asked to rinse thoroughly, lather with the antiseptic, rinse, lather and rinse again. | |
Outcomes | Primary outcome:
Surgical site infection (defined using Centers for Disease Control criteria for wound infection and wound classification)
Group 1: 1/50 (2%);
Group 2: 1/50 (2%);
Group 3: 0/50 (0%). Secondary outcome: Adverse reactions: no adverse reactions were reported. |
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Notes | ||
Risk of bias | ||
Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
Random sequence generation (selection bias) | Low risk | Computer‐generated. |
Allocation concealment (selection bias) | Unclear risk | Not described. |
Blinding (performance bias and detection bias) Investigator and participant | Low risk | Surgeons and patients were all blinded to the allocation group. |
Blinding (performance bias and detection bias) Outcome assessor | Low risk | Outcome assessors and microbiologists were all blinded to the allocation group. |
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes | Low risk | All patients were followed for the nominated 30 days. |
Selective reporting (reporting bias) | Low risk | Expected outcomes were reported. |
Other bias | Low risk | The placebo solution was provided by Rioquimica Industria Farmaceutica, the manufacturer of the intervention product. However, as results in different groups were similar, this is unlikely to have affected results. |