Aqueous povidone-iodine versus normal saline for intraoperative wound irrigation on the incidence of surgical site infection in clean-contaminated wounds after gastroenterological surgery: a single-institute, prospective, blinded-endpoint, randomized controlled trial.

Maemoto R, Noda H, Ichida K, Miyakura Y, Kakizawa N, Machida E et al.

Ann Surg 2023; 277: 727-733.

Lavage with povidone iodine before skin closure for 1 min was compared to saline lavage in this study that included 941 procedures. The rate of surgical site infection was similar: 7.6 per cent with iodine and 5.1 per cent with saline, P=0.154.

Comment: the fact that the wound is flushed may be more important than what with.