Aqueous Povidone-Iodine Irrigation Does Not Reduce Surgical Site Infection Incidence Compared to Saline Irrigation

Researchers conducted a randomized controlled trial to compare the effectiveness of intraoperative wound irrigation with aqueous povidone-iodine (PVP-I) versus saline in reducing surgical site infections (SSI) in clean-contaminated wounds after gastroenterological surgery. The study included 941 patients and found that the incidence of incisional SSI was slightly higher in the group receiving PVP-I (7.6%) compared to the saline group (5.1%). These results suggest that the current recommendation for PVP-I irrigation should be reconsidered.