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. 2016 Oct 25;2016(10):CD008367. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD008367.pub3

Seguin 2006.

Methods Study design: 3‐arm parallel RCT
Location: Rennes, France
Number of centres: 1
Study period: August 2001 to January 2003
Funding source: Not stated
Participants Setting: Surgical ICU
Inclusion criteria: Adults (> 18 years) with closed head trauma admitted to ICU and expected to need mechanical ventilation for at least 2 days
Exclusion criteria: Admitted > 12 hours after initial trauma, those with facial, thoracic, abdominal or spinal injuries, known history of reaction to iodine or of respiratory disease, chest infiltrates at admission or need for curative antibiotics
Number randomised: 110 (38/36/36)
Number evaluated: 98 (36/31/31)
Baseline characteristics:
‐ Iodine group: Age: 38 ± 17 years; M/F: 28/10
‐ Saline group: Age: 38 ± 16 years; M/F: 24/12
‐ Control group: Age: 41 ± 18 years; M/F: 23/13
Interventions Comparison: Povidone Iodine versus saline versus usual care (no rinse)
Iodine group (n = 38): Nasopharynx and oropharynx rinsed 4‐hourly with 20 ml of 10% povidone iodine aqueous solution (Betadine oral rinse solution) reconstituted in a 60 ml solution with sterile water, followed by aspiration of oropharyngeal secretions
Saline group (n = 36): Nasopharynx and oropharynx rinsed 4‐hourly with 60 ml saline, followed by aspiration of oropharyngeal secretions
Control group (n = 36): Standard regimen without any instillation but with aspiration of oropharyngeal secretions
For all participants the suction catheters were inserted as distally as possible. Procedures were reported on patients chart
Outcomes 1. Incidence of VAP ‐ early and late onset
2. Duration of ventilation in surgical ICU
3. Length of stay in surgical ICU
4. Surgical ICU mortality
Notes Sample size calculation: Estimated that 30 participants in each group would provide 80% power with α error = 5% to detect a reduction in VAP from 50% to 20%
Risk of bias
Bias Authors' judgement Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias) Low risk "Patients were randomly assigned to received one of three regimens according to computer‐generated random number codes kept in sealed envelopes"
Allocation concealment (selection bias) Low risk "Patients were randomly assigned to received one of three regimens according to computer‐generated random number codes kept in sealed envelopes"
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) 
 All outcomes High risk Not possible
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) 
 All outcomes Unclear risk Unclear information about blinding of outcome assessors
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) 
 All outcomes Low risk 12 randomised participants (11%) excluded from analysis. 6 participants (1/3/2 in each group) were withdrawn because unexpected recovery meant that they were not on mechanical ventilation for 48 hours and a further 6 participants (1/2/3) died. Unlikely to have introduced a bias
Selective reporting (reporting bias) Low risk Planned outcomes reported in full
Other bias Low risk No other sources of bias identified