Ineffectiveness of povidone-iodine irrigation of abdominal incisions

Two to four percent of uncontaminated surgical wounds become infected; the incidence is increased in contaminated cases. The present study was designed to determine the efficacy of wound irrigation with povidone-iodine in patients not receiving prophylactic antibiotics who were undergoing gynecologic operations. The results revealed no significant difference in the relatively high occurrence of wound infections, morbidity, and elevated fever indices between the povidone-iodine wound irrigation group of patients and the control group. From a review of previous studies of topical antibiotics and antiseptics in contaminated cases as well as from the present findings, providone-iodine wound irrigation without assocaited use of prophylactic antibiotics does not appear to reduce significantly the incidence of wound infections in patients with potential vaginal contamination.