The Effectiveness of Pre-operative Bath with 4% Chlorhexidine Gluconate for Prevention of Surgical Site Infection at the Universitas Sumatera Utara Hospital

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Elective surgery is a type of surgery that can be postponed or planned without endangering the patient’s life. Every operation, the slightest, can pose a risk of infection. Surgical site infection (SSI) is still a global problem that can increase morbidity and mortality rates, prolong the time and cost of hospitalization. chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) 4% is an antiseptic with broad-spectrum antimicrobial ability that can be used as an effort to prevent SSI. AIM: This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of preoperative antimicrobial baths using 4% CHG in an effort to prevent the incidence of SSI in Universitas Sumatera Utara hospitals. METHODS: The design used in this study was a quasi-experimental method with a nonequivalent control group posttest only design method. The total sample in this study was 60 respondents according to the inclusion criteria. Bivariate analysis using Chi-square statistical test. RESULTS: A total of 60 samples that met the research criteria were then divided into the pre-operative bath intervention group with 4% CHG (n = 30) and the control group was not given any treatment (n = 30). In the pre-operative bath intervention group with 4% CHG, there was no incidence of SSI, while in the control group, 5 (n = 8.3%) respondents experienced SSI. Pre-operative bath with 4% CHG was statistically more effective than not given pre-operative bath with 4% CHG in preventing the incidence of SSI (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Pre-operative bath with 4% CHG is effective in preventing SSI because 4% CHG is bactericidal, bacteriostatic, lasts a long time on the skin thereby reducing the number of bacterial colonies 9 times and increasing the skin’s ability to be antiseptic for longer.