Efficacy of intraoperative surgical irrigation with polihexanide and nitrofurazone in reducing bacterial load after nail removal surgery

• Published in: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2011-02, Vol.64 (2), p.328-335
• Main Authors: Becerro de Bengoa Vallejo, Ricardo, DPM, PhD, Losa Iglesias, Marta Elena, PhD, Cervera, Luis Alou, BSc, PhD, Fernández, David Sevillano, PharmD, Prieto, José Prieto, MD, PhD
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Anti-Infective Agents, Local - therapeutic use; Bacterial Load; Biguanides - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Colony Count, Microbial; Dermatology; Female; Humans; infection; intraoperative antiseptic; Intraoperative Care - methods; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; nail surgery; Nails, Ingrown - microbiology; Nails, Ingrown - surgery; nitrofurazone; Nitrofurazone - therapeutic use; polihexanide; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures - methods; Surgical Wound Infection - prevention & control; Therapeutic Irrigation - methods
• ISSN: 0190-9622; 1097-6787
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2010.01.011

Background A common challenge of nail avulsion surgery is the associated bacterial contamination and infection that can manifest. The toe has a difficult anatomy to antiseptically prepare and properly maintain throughout the surgical procedure, lending to this widespread problem. Objective We conducted a controlled, prospective randomized study to examine the antiseptic efficacy of 3 intraoperative irrigation methods during nail avulsion surgery. Methods We compared intraoperative antiseptic irrigation using 0.9% saline solution (24 patients), 0.2% nitrofurazone (22 patients), and 0.1% polihexanide (25 patients). Swab samples were taken from each patient at 5 distinct stages throughout the surgical procedure, and bacterial culture analysis was performed (positive culture rate, total inocula count, reduction of bacterial load, and identification of specific micro-organisms). Results All 3 intraoperative irrigation methods reduced the total bacterial load, but polihexanide was significantly more effective. Furthermore, no patient from the polihexanide group developed postoperative infection. The reduction in bacterial load was lost for all 3 methods after partial nail avulsion surgery, returning to similar values as the initial presurgical bacterial load. An intraoperative irrigation step after partial nail avulsion with saline, nitrofurazone, and polihexanide was effective in reducing the bacterial load by 95.2%, 96.6%, and 99.5%, respectively. Limitations Our patients underwent phenol-based nail avulsion, resulting in no bacterial load after complete nail removal because of the intrinsic antiseptic nature of the phenol. Conclusions Intraoperative irrigation with 0.1% polihexanide substantially reduced the bacterial load and subsequent infections, highlighting the importance of an irrigation step in nail avulsion surgery.