Cesarean Section Skin Prep - Does Skin Preparation Pattern Affect Skin Bacterial Burden

Currently there is no study investigating best skin cleaning patterns prior to cesarean deliveries. As a result, doctors perform skin preparation using random unstudied techniques. Techniques vary from Hospital to Hospital and even within the same institution. The most widely used topical skin preparation is ChloraPrep and the manufacturer has not recommended a specific pattern to be used in order to abdominally prep prior to C-sections. In addition most studies do not examine the effectiveness in the obese population. The manufacture has established a recommended dosage area of 13in x13in per ChloraPrep stick as well as timing from initial preparation until the practice reached its maximum antiseptic benefit. Our current cesarean infection rate is very low, at just 1.6% over the last 12 months (September 2107-2018). This is significantly lower than the average cesarean section infection rate in the United States which is around 7.4% using iodine based preparations. Cesarean deliveries are one of the most common major surgeries performed in the United States, 31.9% of all births are by cesarean section. The risk of infection following a cesarean delivery is nearly 5 times that of a vaginal delivery. However, there is still no study that examines the pattern which ChloraPrep is applied to the abdomen prior to a cesarean delivery in patients with a BMI greater than 30. The pattern of skin preparation appears to be heavily related to physician training and personal bias.