Comparison of the antimicrobial efficacy of chlorhexidine gluconate and povidone iodine as preoperative surgical preparation solutions in cattle under field conditions

Abstract

Antimicrobial substances are used in the preoperative period to reduce the number of resident skin flora and prevent surgical wound infection. Most standing abdominal surgeries in cattle are classified as clean contaminated and are performed on potentially immune-compromised cattle in a contaminated area. Thus, the antiseptic used must quickly reduce the number of microbes present while at the same time preventing bacterial recolonization following the procedure. This can be particularly difficult in field conditions where many environmental contaminants cannot be controlled by the surgeon. Environmental conditions are a major contributing factor in determining the efficacy and residual effects of antiseptic agents. Therefore, a preparation procedure with a high percentage of bacterial reduction and prolonged residual activity would prove favorable in the surgical management of cattle in a field setting. The few studies that have been completed on surgical site preparation in cattle have either been conducted in a sterile hospital surgical suite or only using 1 product in 2 different manners in a field situation. The purpose of this study was to document the comparative efficacy of a standard iodophor and alcohol preparation and a chlorhexidine and alcohol preparation in cattle under field conditions.