Effects of two methods of Surgical Scrubbingwith Povidone iodine and Chlorhexidine on the rate of bacterial counts of hand surgery site

Background and aims: One of the most important health procedures to control nosocomial infections is skin disinfection. This action is absolutely necessary to disinfect the skin before surgery. This action reduces the nosocomial infections significantly. Regarding the importance of this subject, in this study, two surgical areas: Preps with Betadine and Chlorhexidine has been compared. Methods: This study was three stages, double-blind clinical trial that was performed on sixty-four patients who was electively candidate for hand surgery and randomly divided into two Povidone iodine 7.5% and Chlorhexidine groups. Sample for culturing was obtained from area, before, and after prep, and after operation. Data were recorded in checklist and analyzed using independent t-test, chi-square, and repeated measure of ANOVA. Results: Results show that bacterial levels significantly reduced and reached to zero when preparation of skin was based on chlorhexidine formulation (P=0.001). In the povidone iodine group the mean number of bacteria was reduced significantly (P=0.001) in three times. The average number of bacteria after preparation with chlorhexidine significantly reduced when compare to Povidone iodine, but after operation it not significant between two groups (P=0.770). Conclusion: Although using antiseptic before surgery is essential, choosing the right solution in some cases faced with challenges. Chlorhexidine in prep before surgery could safely reduce the amount of bacteria. This study recommended using chlorhexidine rather than povidone iodine in surgical procedures, because it is more effective to reduce the number of skin surface bacteria