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Investigation of the PREVENTIA® Irrigation Solution for Reducing Bacteria in Spinal Surgery With Implants - A Comparative Study

Prevention of Bacterial Contamination in Spinal Fusion Surgery Using Polyhexanide-Poloxamer Wound Irrigation - a Randomized Clinical Trial

Status
Not yet recruiting
Phases
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07667036
Acronym
PROTECT-SPINE
Enrollment
114
Registered
2026-06-24
Start date
2027-01-01
Completion date
2028-12-31
Last updated
2026-06-29

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Spine Surgery, Surgical Site Infection Prevention, Surgical Site Infection (SSI)

Keywords

SSI, surgical site infection, spinal surgery, spinal fusion surgery, preventia, polyhexanide, poloxamer, biofilm, infection prevention, spondylodesis

Brief summary

Spinal surgery carries a risk of surgical wound infections (i.e., the entry of bacteria). Despite various preventive measures, such infections continue to occur, particularly in operations involving implants. In this study, we would like to investigate whether rinsing the surgical wound with a special irrigation solution called PREVENTIA® can reduce the number of bacteria in the wound during the operation.

Detailed description

Surgical wound infections are among the possible complications following spinal surgery. There is a particularly increased risk of such infections in operations in which implants, such as screws or rods to stabilize the spine, are used. One reason for these infections is that many different bacteria live on human skin. These are found not only on the surface of the skin, but also in deeper layers of the skin, for example in hair follicles and sebaceous glands. In these areas, they cannot always be fully reached by conventional disinfectants before surgery. As a result, bacteria can enter the surgical site despite careful preparation. This study investigates a special irrigation solution called PREVENTIA®. It contains active substances, polyhexanide and poloxamer, which can kill bacteria and attack so-called biofilms. A biofilm is a type of protective layer that bacteria form on implants. Within this layer, the bacteria are better protected and can cause infections that are more difficult to treat. Until now, this solution has mainly been used for irrigating superficial wounds. However, it has not yet been investigated whether irrigating deeper tissue layers during spinal surgery can reduce the presence of bacteria. This study therefore aims to investigate: whether irrigating the surgical wound with PREVENTIA® results in fewer detectable bacteria in the surgical site, and whether this method may potentially help to reduce infections in the surgical site.

Interventions

DEVICEPreventia Surgical Solution

Irrigation of the surgical wound with 0.1% polyhexanide and poloxamer and instillation for 1 minute instilled with the amount needed to fill up to the wound border before and after placement of the pedicle screws and before opening of the spinal canal (to guarantee no contact with the dura mater). This procedure is followed by complete aspiration of the fluid.

Irrigation of the surgical wound with 0.9% NaCl and instillation for 1 minute instilled with the amount needed to fill up to the wound border before and after placement of the pedicle screws and before opening of the spinal canal (to guarantee no contact with the dura mater). This procedure is followed by complete aspiration of the fluid.

Sponsors

Universität Luzern
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Intervention model description

Single-center, open-label, randomized controlled study

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
MALE
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Age more than 18 years * Plan to undergo elective spinal fusion surgery (including thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, and sacrum and coccyx) * Informed consent as documented by signature

Exclusion criteria

* Emergency spine surgery * Previous spine fusion surgery * Unable to follow the comply with the study procedure or provide informed consent * Known allergies to any of the products used in the trial * Female gender * Current or recent (last 14 days) antibiotic therapy * Participation in another trial with an antimicrobial substance within the 30 days preceding and during the present trial * Known or suspected drug or alcohol abuse * Inability to follow the procedures of the investigation, e.g. due to language problems, psychological disorders, dementia, etc. of the subject * Evidence or suspicion of preexisting infection, defined as: Current local infection (or active treatment) involving the spine or adjacent soft tissues (e.g. spondylodiscitis, epidural or paravertebral abscess, cellulitis at the intervention site) diagnosed clinically or by imaging prior to intervention; Active systemic bacterial/fungal infection requiring antimicrobial therapy

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Presence of bacterial growthAssessed 14 days postoperatively.Presence of bacterial growth in at least one of four intraoperative swabs (deep wound swab 1 or 2, retractor swab, or surgical glove swab) obtained around the surgical incision site.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Presence of bacterial growthAssessed 14 days postoperatively.Presence of bacterial growth in each of the four individual swabs obtained around the surgical incision site.
bacterial species and loadAssessed 14 days postoperativelySemi-quantitative assessment of bacterial species and load, reported on an ordinal scale, for each of the four individual swabs
Surgical Site Infectionson postoperative days 3-5 and for a substudy at 90 days (±15 days) and 12 months (±2 months) post-surgeryWound healing assessment using the ASEPSIS wound scoring system. ASEPSIS stands for: * Additional treatment * Serous discharge * Erythema * Purulent exudate * Separation of deep tissues * Isolation of bacteria * Stay as inpatient prolonged over 14 days Minimum Value: 0 Maximum Value: 70 Outcome: Higher scores mean a worse outcome (greater infection severity)

Countries

Switzerland

Contacts

CONTACTRami Sommerstein, Prof. Dr. Med.
rami.sommerstein@unilu.ch+41 41 208 32 54

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Jun 30, 2026