Randomized studies have compared the efficacy
of different types10-13 or doses14,15 of systemic
antibiotics for preventing surgical-site infection
but not the effect of preoperative skin antisepsis.
In this randomized study, the application of chlorhexidine–
alcohol reduced the risk of surgical-site
infection by 41% as compared with the most common
practice in the United States of using aqueous
povidone–iodine.7 This degree of protection