Background: Surgical site infection is a serious complication associated with significant morbidity, mortality and health care expenditure.
Aims: To determine the clinical effectiveness and economic impact of using iodine-impregnated incise drapes for preventing surgical site infection.
Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library and CINAHL databases were systematically searched. Critical appraisal and synthesis of clinical evidence informed a decision analytical cost-consequence model.
Findings: Nine studies were included in the systematic literature review. Evidence from cardiac surgery patients was considered appropriate to inform the cost analysis. The economic model evaluation estimated cost savings of £549 per patient with the iodophor-impregnated drape in the deterministic analysis and a mean cost saving per patient of £554,172 per 1000 in the probabilistic analysis.
Conclusion: Using iodine-impregnated drapes in cardiac surgery patients may effectively reduce infections and provide cost-savings, but further research is required.
Keywords: Cost-consequence analysis; Infection control; Iodine-impregnated incise drapes; Surgical site infection; Systematic review.