Simple shower routine after colon surgery may slash infection risk
NCT ID NCT05586776
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
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Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
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About 2,700 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2023
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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.
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.
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The places running it
4 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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
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Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian
RECRUITINGNewport Beach, California, 92663, United States
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University of California, Davis Medical Center
RECRUITINGSacramento, California, 95817, United States
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University of California, Irvine Medical Center
RECRUITINGOrange, California, 92868, United States
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University of California, San Francisco Medical Center
RECRUITINGSan Francisco, California, 94143, United States
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