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Cyanoacrylate microbial sealants for skin preparation prior to surgery

Allyson Lipp1, Cheryl Phillips, Paul Harris

  • 1Faculty of Health, Sport and Science, Department of Care Sciences, University of Glamorgan, Glyn Taff Campus, Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taff, UK, CF37 1DL.

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|October 8, 2010
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Microbial sealants applied before surgery did not significantly reduce surgical site infections in a small trial. More research is needed to determine if these sealants are effective for preventing infections in clean surgery.

Area of Science:

  • Infection Control
  • Surgical Procedures
  • Medical Device Efficacy

Background:

  • Surgical site infections (SSIs) remain a significant healthcare challenge.
  • Microbial sealants are applied preoperatively to prevent SSIs by inhibiting skin flora contamination.
  • The efficacy of microbial sealants in reducing SSIs requires robust clinical evidence.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of preoperative microbial sealant application on SSI rates in clean surgery.
  • To compare outcomes between patients receiving microbial sealants and those who did not.

Main Methods:

  • A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted.
  • Searches included major databases (Cochrane, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL) up to May 2010.
  • One small RCT involving 177 participants undergoing hernia repair met the inclusion criteria.

Main Results:

  • The single included RCT found no statistically significant difference in SSI rates.
  • Three SSIs occurred in the control group versus none in the microbial sealant group (RR 0.17, P=0.23).
  • The trial was small and may have been underpowered to detect a significant effect.

Conclusions:

  • Current evidence is insufficient to conclude whether microbial sealants reduce SSI risk in clean surgery.
  • Further high-quality randomized controlled trials are necessary to establish the efficacy of microbial sealants.

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