Could a simple wipe slash hospital infections?
NCT ID NCT06514131
First seen Aug 04, 2026 · Last updated Aug 05, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether using pre-moistened wipes without water for perineal hygiene is more effective than traditional soap and water in reducing skin microbes in totally dependent hospital patients. About 468 adults in medical or geriatric wards will be randomly assigned to one of the two methods. The main goal is to see if the wipes achieve a 90% or greater reduction in microbial load, which could help prevent healthcare-associated infections.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Pre-moistened waterless wipes for perineal hygiene
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this simple hygiene method could lower infection rates in hospitals, improving patient safety and reducing healthcare costs.
- What could go wrong
- The trial is early and measures microbial reduction, not actual infections, so real-world benefits may differ. Results depend on staff adherence and patient comfort.
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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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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468 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Feb 2024
- Finished
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May 2025
- 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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Patients over 18 years of age inclusive at the time of the study; * Patients admitted to medical or geriatric wards with scheduled or urgent hospitalization; * Hypothesis of hospitalization of at least 48 hours * Totally dependent patients who are bedridden and unable to independently provide for their own personal hygiene. * Patient-oriented in time and space/cognitively cooperative. * Acquisition of written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients who have performed perineal hygiene with wipes or other methods containing antiseptic solutions in the 12-24 hours preceding the execution of the swab for the bacteriological examination. * Patients who have undergone a treatment procedure in the groin and/or perineal area that required skin antisepsis (e.g. femoral blood sampling, bladder catheter insertion, etc.). * Patients with known allergies to one of the components of the products used. * Patients diagnosed with dermatological pathologies. * Patients colonized or infected with microorganisms transmissible by contact. * Patients in bowel cleansing preparation for diagnostic procedures e therapeutic. * Patients with diarrheal bowel. * Patients hospitalized on Saturdays and Sundays due to the difficulty of illustrating information and acquiring informed consent since healthcare professionals are small in number. * Patient enrolled and then transferred to another ward or discharged before 48 hours.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Azienda Ospedaliera, Ospedale Civile di Legnano
Legnano, Milano, 20025, Italy
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Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia
Reggio Emilia, 42123, Italy
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Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico
Milan, 20122, Italy
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IRCCS AOU di Bologna
Bologna, 40138, Italy
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