Intraoperative wound irrigation significantly reduces surgical site infections

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 randomized trials involving 4,915 abdominal surgery patients found that intraoperative wound irrigation using antimicrobial or antiseptic agents significantly decreased surgical site infections (SSI). The intervention group had an 8.26% SSI rate compared to 14.27% in the control group, resulting in an odds ratio of 0.62. This study highlights the effectiveness of intraoperative irrigation in lowering infection rates before skin closure, addressing a longstanding debate in surgical practice.