Acidic Water Disinfectant May Harm Wound Healing in Surgery
- Authors
- Yoshio Takesue, Yoshiko Takahashi, Kaoru Ichiki, Kazuhiko Nakajima, Toshie Tsuchida, Motoi Uchino, Hiroki Ikeuchi
- Journal
- Diseases of the Colon & Rectum
- Year
- 2011
- DOI
- 10.1007/DCR.0b013e318211b83a
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Negative
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Surgical Site Infection
- Body System
- Digestive System
TL;DR
Using a strong acidic disinfectant on wounds during colorectal surgery may hinder healing and is not recommended for routine use.
Key Finding
Electrolyzed acidic solution applied to surgical wounds impaired wound healing and increased poor healing outcomes, despite a trend toward reduced infection risk.
Summary
This study tested whether an acidic solution created by electrolysis (a chemical process using electricity) could prevent infections when applied to surgical wounds during colorectal surgery. Researchers compared 180 patients whose wounds were rinsed with this solution to 183 patients whose wounds were rinsed with regular saline (salt water). While the acidic solution showed a slight trend toward reducing infections, it actually worsened wound healing and increased complications like poor healing outcomes.
Practical Takeaway
This study involved surgical wound irrigation in a hospital setting, not hydrogen water consumption. The electrolyzed solution tested here is not the same as hydrogen-enriched water marketed to consumers. The research suggests this particular disinfectant caused more harm than benefit in this surgical context, and the authors do not recommend its routine use.
Abstract
Electrolyzed strongly acidic aqueous solution which is produced by electrolysis of a sodium chloride solution has been used in Japan for the irrigation of wounds or body cavities even in the absence of particular evidence. The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficacy or harmful effects of the disinfectant when applied before wound closure in colorectal surgery. We performed a prospective, randomized study. The study was conducted at Surgical Department of Hyogo College of Medicine Patients who underwent elective colorectal surgery were randomly assigned to 2 groups. The surgical wound was irrigated with >500 mL of the disinfectant or saline solution after the completion of fascia closure. Patients with dirty/infected wounds were excluded from the study. The primary end point of this study was comparison of the frequency of incisional surgical site infection. The secondary end point was the occurrence of wound dehiscence or wound hernia. One hundred eighty patients in the disinfectant group and 183 patients in the saline solution group were analyzed. In multivariate analysis, IBD and contaminated wounds were independent risk factors for incisional surgical site infection. Application of the disinfectant tended to lower the risk of the infection (OR 0.457, 95% CI 0.206-1.013). In the analysis of poor wound healing, preoperative hospital stay of >2 weeks, stoma creation, and use of the disinfectant (OR 2.28, 95% CI 1.03-5.04) were independent risk factors. This study was not a double-blind trial. Application of electrolyzed strongly acidic aqueous solution to the wound impaired wound healing. Routine use of electrolyzed strongly acidic aqueous solution is not recommended in patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery. As for the contribution of the disinfectant to preventing wound infections, further study is needed to make a definitive conclusion.