Economic evaluation of pre-operative shower with antiseptic soap to prevent surgical site infections

A pre-operative shower is recommended before surgery to prevent surgical site infections (SSIs). We modelled the occurrence of SSIs and the potential savings for patients undergoing an antimicrobial soap (AS) shower prior to surgery at a French University Hospital level. AS shower prevented 209 SSIs, generating a potential saving of €632,210 per year. Results grouped by type of surgery showed annual savings of €26,537, €20,520 and €14,377 for orthopaedic, gynaecologic and obstetric, and digestive surgery, respectively. Despite the lack of published data surrounding the efficacy of AS in preventing SSIs, we demonstrated the potential savings and benefits of generalizing AS before surgical interventions.