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Clinical Evaluation of Adults Undergoing Elective Surgery Utilizing Intraoperative Incisional Wound Irrigation

NCT04548661 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 2701

Last updated 2025-12-18

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

A surgical site infection (SSI) is an infection that occurs after a surgical procedure. Despite a variety of infection prevention strategies, SSIs still occur often and impose a significant burden on patients and the healthcare system. Intraoperative irrigation (or washing of the surgical incision before closure) may reduce SSIs, but this is uncertain.

The Clinical Evaluation of Adults Undergoing Elective Surgery Utilizing Intraoperative Incisional Wound Irrigation (CLEAN Wound) trial aims to determine if incisional wound irrigation with an antiseptic or salt water solution can reduce SSIs within 30 days of surgery compared to no wound irrigation. 2,500 patients aged 18 years or older who are planned to undergo an abdominal or groin open or laparoscopic procedure will be randomly assigned to incisional wound irrigation with povidone-iodine solution; or incisional wound irrigation with saline; or no irrigation and followed for 30 days after surgery to assess the incidence of SSIs, with additional outcomes collected up to 90 days after surgery.

Even with significant advances in medicine over the past decades, there are still many fundamental issues in perioperative care that remain unclear due to lack of evidence. If this trial were to demonstrate that intraoperative wound irrigation reduces the incidence of SSI, these practice-changing findings could greatly benefit patients worldwide.

Conditions

  • Surgical Site Infection

Interventions

PROCEDURE

Intraoperative incisional wound irrigation with povidone-iodine solution

Participants randomized to the povidone-iodine irrigation group will have all incisions irrigated once with povidone-iodine diluted in 0.9% sterile normal saline (to a final concentration of 5% povidone-iodine (0.5% available iodine)) delivered through a bulb syringe. The povidone-iodine irrigation should be left on for 60 seconds and then dried with sterile gauze. Irrigation will be performed after any/all deep tissue layers are closed, prior to skin closure. The volume used will be left to the discretion of the clinician and irrigation will be administered until saturation is achieved.

PROCEDURE

Intraoperative incisional wound irrigation with saline

Participants randomized to the saline irrigation group will have all incisions irrigated once with 0.9% sterile normal saline delivered through a bulb syringe. Irrigation will be performed after any/all deep tissue layers are closed, prior to skin closure. The volume used will be left to the discretion of the clinician and irrigation will be administered until saturation is achieved.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Paul Karanicolas, MD PhD · Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
DOUBLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2023-08-02
Primary Completion
2025-09-30
Completion
2025-09-30

Countries

  • Canada

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT04548661 on ClinicalTrials.gov