Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is mainly due to endogenous bacteria. Topical decolonization is a preoperative intervention currently advised for proven nasal carriers of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus).
Objective: The authors assessed whether topical decolonization could be of benefit for patients who are not nasal carriers of S. aureus.
Methods and materials: The authors performed a randomized controlled trial of S. aureus nasal swab-negative patients. Five days before Mohs surgery topical decolonization with nasal mupirocin and chlorhexidine, body wash was started. The control group had no intervention.
Results: In the week after Mohs surgery, the infection rate in the intervention group was 2% (n = 661, 14) and that of the control group was 4% (n = 689, 29).
Conclusion: Topical decolonization reduces SSI in nasal swab-negative Mohs surgery patients.