Is a 10-minute surgical scrub necessary in urologic prosthetic surgery? A randomized study of the effect of a 5- vs 10-minute surgical scrub on bacterial colony counts in the genital skin

Ashanya Malalasekera, Mark Louie-Johnsun, Audrey Wang, Danielle C. van Diepen, Thomas Gottlieb, Lewis Chan*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Aims: 

To determine the antiseptic efficacy on bacterial colony counts of a 5- vs 10-minute surgical site scrub in urologic surgery. 

Methods: 

A prospective cohort study was conducted in 101 patients presenting for elective urological procedures. Patients were randomized to a 5- or 10-minute groin scrub with Betadine (povidone-iodine). Skin swabs were taken immediately after skin clipping and following routine painting with Betadine. A third swab was taken after the betadine skin scrub. Bacterial colony counts were reported as a number of colony-forming units (CFUs). The primary outcome measure was a quantitative comparison of CFUs in the two arms. 

Results: 

Fifty-three patients were randomized to a 5-minute scrub and 48 to a 10-minute scrub. After Betadine painting, CFUs were present in 38% of patients in the 5-minute group (mean, 33.5 CFU) and in 27% of the 10-minute group (mean, 45.4 CFU). Following the surgical scrub, only 7.5% of the 5-minute group and 8.3% of the 10-minute group had a measurable CFU count of greater than or equal to 1, and colony counts were low in both groups (5- minute group: mean, 1.5 CFU; 10-minute group: mean, 2.0 CFU). There was no significant difference in CFUs following a 5- or 10-minute scrub (P = 0.28).

Conclusions:

The addition of a surgical skin scrub leads to a fourfold reduction in the skin CFU count compared with Betadine painting. However, there is no difference between the antibacterial effects of a 5- and 10-minute scrub. A 5-minute scrub may be sufficient in urologic prosthetic surgery.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)990-995
Number of pages6
JournalNeurourology and Urodynamics
Volume38
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2019
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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