Single Preoperative Bladder Instillation of Povidone-Iodine for the Prevention of Postprostatectomy Bacteriuria and Wound Infection

OBJECTIVE: To study the effectiveness of preoperative bladder washing with povidone-iodine to prevent postprostatectomy wound infection. DESIGN: Patients with an indwelling catheter and scheduled for prostatectomy were divided into two groups. In patients in group 1 (n = 76) the indwelling catheter was simply removed without bladder irrigation. Patients in group 2 (n = 80) had their bladder washed with a nondiluted solution of povidone-iodine before surgery. PATIENTS: One hundred fifty-six consecutive patients with an indwelling catheter and bacteriuria. Mean age was 64 years. All patients had an open prostatectomy during the 12-month study period. Patients undergoing open prostatectomy during the first 6 months of the study had no bladder irrigation and served as the control group. Patients undergoing open prostatectomy during the following 6 months had a bladder instillation with povidone-iodine. RESULTS: Wound infection appeared in 17 of 76 patients (22.4%) without bladder washing and in 4 of 80 patients (5%) when 50 to 60 ml of the solution was retained in the bladder for 10 to 13 minutes (p = .001). The incidence of postoperative bacteriuria remained unchanged in the control group (100%) but was reduced to 22.5% in the treated group (p = .001). Statistical comparisons of incidence were done using the chi square test. CONCLUSIONS: It has been demonstrated that the use of preoperative bladder instillation of povidone-iodine may be highly effective in the prevention of postprostatectomy wound infection and in reducing the incidence of bacteriuria in patients with an indwelling catheter and urine colonization.