Simple shower routine after colon surgery may slash infection risk

NCT ID NCT05586776

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 21, 2026 · Last updated Jul 22, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial tests whether using an antiseptic body wash and a nasal antibiotic ointment for 30 days after colon or small bowel surgery can prevent surgical site infections. About 2,700 adults who had open abdominal surgery will be randomly assigned to receive either the antiseptic regimen or a placebo. The goal is to find a simple, low-cost way to reduce infections after hospital discharge.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
4% chlorhexidine gluconate and 2% mupirocin
What this could lead to
If effective, this simple at-home regimen could significantly reduce infections after colon or small bowel surgery, improving recovery and lowering healthcare costs.
What could go wrong
This is a single trial, and results may not apply to all surgeries. The regimen requires daily adherence, and some people may have skin irritation or allergic reactions.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 4

Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.

Participants

About 2,700 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jan 2023

Expected to finish

Dec 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * 18 years of age or older * Recent open (not solely laparoscopic) surgery involving an abdominal incision within the past 14 days. For cesarean section, recruitment restricted to BMI ≥ 40. * Able to communicate regularly by phone * Able to bathe, shower or have this task performed by a caregiver Exclusion Criteria: * Transfer to an acute care hospital * Discharged to receive end-of-life hospice measures * Discharged more than 14 days after surgery * Allergic to mupirocin and/or chlorhexidine * Active infection at enrollment\* \*Refers to 1. Infections requiring systemic antibacterial agents, so viral illness (e.g., COVID, flu) is not an exclusion. 2. Topical antibacterial agents do not count toward exclusion (e.g., topical products for acne) 3. Prophylactic antibacterial agents do not count toward exclusion * Surgical incision not closed at discharge

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Surgical Wound Infection

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    4 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian

    RECRUITING

    Newport Beach, California, 92663, United States

  • University of California, Davis Medical Center

    RECRUITING

    Sacramento, California, 95817, United States

  • University of California, Irvine Medical Center

    RECRUITING

    Orange, California, 92868, United States

  • University of California, San Francisco Medical Center

    RECRUITING

    San Francisco, California, 94143, United States

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