Observation of surgical site disinfection with chlorhexidine reveals a failure to meet minimum contact time requirements in almost 30% of cases.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To quantify compliance with chlorhexidine surgical site disinfection (SSD) contact time protocols across 5 veterinary hospitals. METHODS: A prospective observational study recorded chlorhexidine SSD contact times, defined as the interval between initial application and removal, in 201 SSD episodes across 5 hospitals. A single but different investigator collected data at each site, with staff blinded to the study's purpose to minimize bias. RESULTS: A total of 201 SSD episodes were recorded across 5 hospitals. The number of SSD episodes per hospital was 32, 65, 29, 62, and 13 for hospitals 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. The overall compliance rate with the target 3- to 5-minute contact time was 70.15%, with significant interhospital variability (35.39% to 100%). CONCLUSIONS: Significant variability in SSD protocol compliance exists among veterinary hospitals, with a substantial portion of episodes failing to meet minimum contact time requirements. Both insufficient and excessive contact times may increase the risk of surgical site infections. Further research is warranted to identify factors influencing noncompliance and develop strategies to improve adherence. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Improved awareness and further research on SSD protocol compliance are crucial for optimizing patient outcomes by reducing surgical site infection risk.