Preventing wound infections after open colon and small bowel surgery
Official title: The DECREASE SSI Trial (Decolonization to Reduce After-Surgery Events of Surgical Site Infection)
Funded at University of California-Irvine · NIH-11093397 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trial tests whether doing chlorhexidine body washes and using a nasal iodophor after you leave the hospital can reduce wound infections in people who had open colon or small bowel surgery.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California-Irvine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Irvine, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $500,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HS029005-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11093397 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People having open colon or small bowel surgery who will be discharged home and can follow a bathing and nasal decolonization routine are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who have minimally invasive (laparoscopic) procedures, cannot use chlorhexidine or iodophor because of allergies, or cannot follow the post-discharge routine may not receive benefit.
What this research studies
You would be randomly assigned after your operation to either routine post-discharge wound care or a decolonization plan that adds chlorhexidine bathing and a nasal iodophor. The trial is being done at multiple hospitals and follows patients for 30 days after they go home to track surgical site infections and recovery. Study staff will collect information about infections that occur after discharge, wound healing, and how the care affects your daily life. This post-discharge plan is tested on top of the standard pre- and intra-operative infection prevention steps to see if the extra measures help.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this low-cost, easy-to-use regimen could lower post-discharge wound infections and improve recovery after these surgeries.
How similar studies have gone: Decolonization with chlorhexidine and nasal antiseptics has reduced infections in some surgical settings, but its benefit specifically as a post-discharge routine for open colon and small bowel surgery is not yet proven.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California-Irvine
Irvine, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Huang, Susan S. — University of California-Irvine
- Study coordinator: Huang, Susan S.
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Decolonization to prevent infections after colon and small bowel surgery
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.