The UF Ortho Trauma Division has successfully participated in a clinical trial examining how skin antisepsis prior to surgery impacts surgical site infections in open fractures (APREP). UF Health patients who suffered from an open fracture were eligible to be enrolled during their hospital stay. Subjects were randomized to one of two skin antisepsis solutions, 10% povidone-iodine or 4% chlorhexidine gluconate. Subjects were then followed by the study team for 1-year post-op to determine if they experienced a surgical site infection.
Led by Principal Investigator, Dr. Jennifer Hagen, the University of Florida was the third highest enrollment site, with 212 participants enrolled during the 3-year period. Dr. Hagen led the research team to complete the study with an 88% follow-up rate, which is astoundingly high for a trauma study.
The study found the odds of surgical site infection did not differ between patients assigned to either skin antisepsis group.
The manuscript was published in The Lancet, a top academic journal, in October 2022. You can view the full article online: