Title

A Cluster-randomized Cross-over Trial Evaluating the Comparative Effectiveness of Three Skin Antiseptic Interventions
Blood Culture Contamination: A Cluster-randomized Cross-over Trial Evaluating the Comparative Effectiveness of Three Skin Antiseptic Interventions
  • Phase

    N/A
  • Study Type

    Interventional
  • Study Participants

    3879
Background: Contaminated blood cultures result in unnecessary antibiotic use, increased length of stay, and additional laboratory tests, all of which increase healthcare costs. While the optimal skin antisepsis agent for reducing blood culture contamination is not known, the cost of various agents differs substantially.

Objective: To determine the relative rates of blood culture contamination for 3 skin antisepsis interventions - 10% povidone iodine aqueous solution (PI), 2% iodine tincture (IT) and 2% chlorhexidine gluconate in 70% isopropyl alcohol (CHG) - when used by dedicated phlebotomy teams to obtain peripheral blood cultures in adult non-ICU medical and surgical patients.
A group-randomized crossover trial was conducted to test the null hypothesis of no difference in blood culture contamination rates among 3 antiseptic skin preparations. The sequence of 3 different antiseptic treatments was randomly assigned to 3 separate hospital floors, therefore in this trial cross-over occurred at the hospital floor level (not the individual patient level).

Also, it is possible for subjects to have multiple blood culture sets obtained during the study. Thus, the number of blood culture sets will not equal the number of unique subjects in the study.
Study Started
May 31
2008
Primary Completion
Sep 30
2009
Study Completion
Nov 30
2009
Results Posted
Nov 01
2012
Estimate
Last Update
Jan 11
2017
Estimate

Drug Iodine tincture

Iodine tincture (2% iodine and 2% sodium iodide diluted in 50% ethanol) packaged in a single 0.67 mL Sepp applicator (Enturia, Leewood KS)

Drug Chlorhexidine gluconate

2% chlorhexidine gluconate/70% isopropyl alcohol packaged in a single 1.5 ml Frepp applicators (Enturia, Leewood KS)

Drug Povidone iodine

10% povidone iodine aqueous solution packaged in a single 0.67 Sepp applicator (Enturia, Leewood KS)

CHG then PI then IT Active Comparator

Skin antisepsis prior to any peripheral blood culture collection on Floor A was performed with CHG for 3 months, followed by PI for 3 months, followed by IT for 3 months. Each 3 month intervention period was separated by a one month wash out period where data regarding blood culture contamination was not collected. 2% chlorhexidine gluconate/70% isopropyl alcohol packaged in a single 1.5 ml Frepp applicators (Enturia, Leewood KS) -- CHG 10% povidone iodine aqueous solution packaged in a single 0.67 Sepp applicator (Enturia, Leewood KS) -- PI Iodine tincture (2% iodine and 2% sodium iodide diluted in 50% ethanol) packaged in a single 0.67 mL Sepp applicator (Enturia, Leewood KS) -- IT

IT then CHG then PI Active Comparator

Skin antisepsis prior to any peripheral blood culture collection on Floor B was performed with iodine tincture for 3 months, followed by Chlorhexidine gluconate for 3 months, followed by povidone iodine for 3 months. Each 3 month intervention period was separated by a one month wash out period where data regarding blood culture contamination was not collected. Iodine tincture (2% iodine and 2% sodium iodide diluted in 50% ethanol) packaged in a single 0.67 mL Sepp applicator (Enturia, Leewood KS) -- IT 2% chlorhexidine gluconate/70% isopropyl alcohol packaged in a single 1.5 ml Frepp applicators (Enturia, Leewood KS) -- CHG 10% povidone iodine aqueous solution packaged in a single 0.67 Sepp applicator (Enturia, Leewood KS) -- PI

PI then IT then CHG Active Comparator

Skin antisepsis prior to any peripheral blood culture collection on Floor C was performed with povidone iodine for 3 months, followed by iodine tincture for 3 months, followed by chlorhexidine gluconate for 3 months. Each 3 3 month intervention period was separated by a one month wash out period where data regarding blood culture contamination was not collected. 10% povidone iodine aqueous solution packaged in a single 0.67 Sepp applicator (Enturia, Leewood KS) -- PI Iodine tincture (2% iodine and 2% sodium iodide diluted in 50% ethanol) packaged in a single 0.67 mL Sepp applicator (Enturia, Leewood KS) -- IT 2% chlorhexidine gluconate/70% isopropyl alcohol packaged in a single 1.5 ml Frepp applicators (Enturia, Leewood KS) -- CHG

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Patient on general medical, surgical, and cardiology floors
Receipt of a peripheral blood draw for blood culture collection
Blood draw performed by phlebotomy team

Exclusion Criteria:

None

Summary

CHG Then PI Then IT

IT Then CHG Then PI

PI Then IT Then CHG

All Events

Event Type Organ System Event Term

Blood Culture Contamination

A culture set was considered contaminated if it yielded growth of typical skin contaminants including aerobic gram positive rods, Lactobacillus sp, Propionibacterium acnes, Micrococcus sp, Bacillus sp (not B. anthracis or B. cereus), coag negative Staphylococcus, Neisseria sp (not N. meningitides or N. gonorrhoeae), or gamma-hemolytic streptococci (not Enterococcus sp) from only 1 of 2 or more blood culture sets obtained from different sites.

Chlorhexidine Gluconate (CHG_

41.0
blood culture sets

Chlorhexidine Gluconate (CHG_

41.0
blood culture sets

Chlorhexidine Gluconate (CHG_

41.0
blood culture sets

Iodine Tincture (IT)

32.0
blood culture sets

Iodine Tincture (IT)

32.0
blood culture sets

Iodine Tincture (IT)

32.0
blood culture sets

Povidone Iodine (PI)

25.0
blood culture sets

Povidone Iodine (PI)

25.0
blood culture sets

Povidone Iodine (PI)

25.0
blood culture sets

Age, Continuous

56.8
years (Mean)
Standard Deviation: 17.9

Sex/Gender, Customized

Overall Study

CHG Then PI Then IT

IT Then CHG Then PI

PI Then IT Then CHG