US EPA

2998742 

Journal Article 

Chlorhexidine versus sterile water vaginal wash during labor to prevent peripartum infection 

Sweeten, KM; Eriksen, NL; Blanco, JD 

1997 

Yes 

American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
ISSN: 0002-9378
EISSN: 1097-6868 

176 

2 

426-430 

English 

9065193 

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine whether a dilute solution of chlorhexidine used as a one-time vaginal wash intrapartum can reduce the incidence of intraamniotic infection or endometritis in laboring pregnant women.

STUDY DESIGN: Term pregnant women in labor were prospectively randomized to receive either 20 ml of 0.4% chlorhexidine (n = 481) or 20 ml of sterile water (n = 466) placebo. All patients were monitored for risk factors associated with intraamniotic infection. Continuous variables were compared with the Mann-Whitney U test and discrete variables were compared with Fisher's exact test.

RESULTS: No significant differences in infection were found between the chlorhexidine and placebo groups. During the study period 21 of 466 women (4.5%) had intraamniotic infection in the control group compared with 25 of 481 women (5.2%) receiving chlorhexidine (p = 0.65, 95% confidence interval 0.82 to 1.41). Nine women in the placebo group (1.9%) and 9 women in the chlorhexidine group (1.9%) had endometritis (p = 1.0, 95% confidence interval 0.62 to 1.56).

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that a one-time 0.4% chlorhexidine vaginal wash does not decrease the incidence of infectious morbidity in parturients, compared with the use of sterile water.