Preoperative Application of Chlorhexidine to Reduce Infection With Cesarean Section After Labor

Surgical Site Infection Clinical Trial

— PRACTICAL  

Official title:

A Randomized Trial to Determine if a Pre-operative Wash With a Chlorhexidine Gluconate Cloth and Chlorhexidine Gluconate Vaginal Scrub Reduces Infectious Morbidity in Patients Undergoing Cesarean Section After Labor

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Terminated

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT03423147
• Other study ID #: GCO 17-1235
• Status: Terminated
• Phase: Phase 2
• Start date: October 5, 2018
• Est. completion date: February 11, 2021

Study information

• Verified date: February 2022
• Source: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Surgical site infections (SSI) are the second most common cause of nosocomial infections accounting for 15% of all nosocomial infections among hospitalized patients and 38% of nosocomial infections in surgical patients. In obstetric patients, infectious morbidity (i.e. SSI, endometritis) occurs in 5-10% of cesarean sections, which is 5-fold higher than vaginal deliveries. Additionally, infectious morbidity is thought to be highest in those patients who have cesarean sections after undergoing labor. Chlorhexidine, a chemical antiseptic effective on gram positive and gram negative bacteria, reduces skin microflora/colonization but it is not clear if it decreases the risk of SSI. Historically, chlorhexidine has been studied and used in orthopedic and cardiac implant surgeries. Research on the use of chlorhexidine for SSI prevention in cesarean sections is limited. This study intends to evaluate the effectiveness of use of both chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) wipe and vaginal scrub in reducing SSI in patients undergoing cesarean section that have previously been laboring. Patients will be randomized to one of two groups: wash with both a pre-operative CHG cloth prior to surgery and chlorhexidine gluconate vaginal scrub in addition to standard preoperative scrub as compared to standard preoperative scrub alone.

Description:

The study will be offered to women who are admitted to undergo labor at Mount Sinai Medical Center. The eligible women will be randomized to use of a 2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) cloth with 4% chlorhexidine gluconate vaginal scrub (including standard preoperative care prior to cesarean section) or standard preoperative care. Participants will not be blinded to the arm in which they have been assigned. Researchers will have access to all patients scheduled for delivery at Mount Sinai Medical Center. About 1800 deliveries by cesarean section occur each year at Mount Sinai. Of these, approximately 800 are cesarean sections after failed labor. Assuming a primary outcome rate of 20% in the control arm, a sample size of 329 in each group would give 80% power to detect a 40% reduction in surgical site infection between the active group and control. The aim is to recruit 400 patients per group (for a total of 800 patients) to account for patient drop out or non-compliance. Sage Products, Inc will be providing the CHG cloths. This study intends to show that simultaneous use of 2% CHG cloths and 4% CHG vaginal scrub prior to cesarean section will reduce the rate of SSI in women who have previously been laboring.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Terminated
• Enrollment: 319
• Est. completion date: February 11, 2021
• Est. primary completion date: February 11, 2021
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: Female
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Women at > 24 weeks gestation who are admitted in labor or admitted for induction of labor at Mount Sinai Hospital

Exclusion Criteria:

• Allergy to chlorhexidine
• Unplanned or emergency cesarean section
• Women at <24 weeks gestation
• Estimated fetal weight <500 grams
• Fetal face presentation regardless of gestational age.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Cesarean Section
• Communicable Diseases
• Cross Infection
• Infections
• Nosocomial Infection
• Surgical Site Infection
• Surgical Wound Infection

Intervention

Drug:
• 2% chlorhexidine gluconate cloth
applied to their abdomen
• 4% Chlorhexidine gluconate vaginal scrub
applied as a vaginal cleanse in the operating room prior to cesarean section

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai	New York	New York

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Angela Bianco	Stryker Nordic

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

References & Publications (4)

Ahmed MR, Aref NK, Sayed Ahmed WA, Arain FR. Chlorhexidine vaginal wipes prior to elective cesarean section: does it reduce infectious morbidity? A randomized trial. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2017 Jun;30(12):1484-1487. doi: 10.1080/14767058.2016.1219996. Epub 2016 Sep 1. — View Citation

Caissutti C, Saccone G, Zullo F, Quist-Nelson J, Felder L, Ciardulli A, Berghella V. Vaginal Cleansing Before Cesarean Delivery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Obstet Gynecol. 2017 Sep;130(3):527-538. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000002167. — View Citation

Culligan PJ, Kubik K, Murphy M, Blackwell L, Snyder J. A randomized trial that compared povidone iodine and chlorhexidine as antiseptics for vaginal hysterectomy. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2005 Feb;192(2):422-5. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2004.08.010. — View Citation

Darouiche RO, Wall MJ Jr, Itani KM, Otterson MF, Webb AL, Carrick MM, Miller HJ, Awad SS, Crosby CT, Mosier MC, Alsharif A, Berger DH. Chlorhexidine-Alcohol versus Povidone-Iodine for Surgical-Site Antisepsis. N Engl J Med. 2010 Jan 7;362(1):18-26. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa0810988. — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Number of Participants With Surgical Site Infection	Surgical site infection will be a composite of wound infection and postpartum endometritis. Endometritis is defined as postoperative fever of 100.4 °F or more occurring 24 hours after delivery associated with uterine tenderness and persistent foul-smelling lochia, requiring broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotic administration. Wound infection is defined as erythema or wound edge separation with purulent discharge involving the cesarean incision site that requires antibiotic therapy and wound care.	up to 6 weeks postpartum
Secondary	Number of Participants With Maternal Complications or Interventions		up to 6 weeks postpartum
Secondary	Number of Participants With Neonatal ICU Admissions	Number of participants with newborn with neonatal ICU admissions	up to 6 weeks postpartum
Secondary	Maternal Length of Stay		up to 6 weeks postpartum
Secondary	Number of Participants With Readmissions		up to 6 weeks postpartum
Secondary	Estimated Blood Loss		Day 1
Secondary	Length of Time From Incision to Delivery		Day 1
Secondary	Length of Operation		Day 1