Is Chlorhexidine Vaginal Preparation Prior to Hysterectomy Superior to Iodine in Reducing Bacterial Count; a Randomized Controlled Trial

Postoperative infection remains the most common complication of surgical procedures in gynecology. Historically, 30-40% of patients undergoing a hysterectomy develop a post-operative infection. The initiation of antibiotic prophylaxis for appropriate surgical procedures was a significant advancement in the prevention of surgical site infection.

Antibiotic prophylaxis has been standardized and universally implemented. A remaining variable is the method of aseptic preparation of the vagina with substantial variation of technique being reported even within institutions.

The most recent Committee Opinion by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists concludes there is insufficient evidence to render a strong recommendation for either povidone-iodine or chlorhexidine as the ideal agent for surgical preparation of the vagina and that further evidence is necessary.

Povidone-iodine solution has been considered the standard for aseptic surgical preparation of the vagina for decades and is the only solution approved by the FDA for vaginal use. There are however specific qualities of the solution that suggest it may be less than ideal for use in the vagina. More contemporary efforts have begun to focus on chlorhexidine as a more ideal agent for aseptic efforts in surgical preparation of the vagina.

The purpose of our study is to use a randomized controlled trial to determine if chlorhexidine gluconate surgical preparation maintains a lower rate of contamination to the surgical field.