Preoperative vaginal preparation with povidone-iodine and the risk of postcesarean endometritis.

OBJECTIVE

Postcesarean endometritis and wound infection remain significant morbidities, despite use of strategies to prevent these complications. We investigated the effect of preoperative vaginal preparation with povidone-iodine as a preventive intervention against postcesarean endometritis and wound infection.

METHODS

A randomized controlled study was performed in 308 women undergoing nonemergent cesarean delivery. Subjects received either standard abdominal scrub alone or abdominal scrub with an additional vaginal preparation with povidone-iodine solution. All subjects received prophylactic antibiotic at the time of umbilical cord clamping. Each subject's postoperative course was reviewed for development of febrile morbidity (temperature > 38.0 degrees C), endometritis (temperature > 38.4 degrees C accompanied by fundal tenderness occurring beyond the first postoperative day, in the absence of evidence of other infection), and wound infection.

RESULTS

Postcesarean endometritis occurred in 7.0% of subjects who received a preoperative vaginal preparation and 14.5% of controls (P < .05). There was no measurable effect of a vaginal scrub on the development of postoperative fever or wound infection. The adjusted odds ratio for developing endometritis after a vaginal preparation was 0.44 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.193-0.997). Multivariate analysis showed an increased risk of developing endometritis in association with severe anemia (adjusted OR 4.26, 95% CI 1.568-11.582), use of intrapartum internal monitors (adjusted OR 2.84, 95% CI 1.311-6.136), or history of antenatal genitourinary infection (adjusted OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.265-6.596).

CONCLUSION

Preoperative vaginal scrub with povidone-iodine decreases the incidence of postcesarean endometritis. This intervention does not seem to decrease the overall risk of postoperative fever or wound infection.