Investigation of Ioban Use During Canine Celiotomy to Determine Potential Benefits of Thermoregulation, Patient Dryness, and Reduction of Surgical Site Complications.

The University of Florida Small Animal Hospital is recruiting dogs for a clinical study:

Enrollment Status: Currently Enrolling

• Inclusion Criteria: Dogs that are scheduled to undergo abdominal surgery with the UF Surgery Service.
• Exclusion Criteria: Dogs will be excluded from the study if they are determined to be hemodynamically unstable or if the procedure is expected to be less than 60 minutes or greater than 180 minutes.
• Procedures: Each dog will be routinely prepped for surgery using the same technique. During surgery, the use of Ioban as an additional surgical drape will be the only difference between treatment and control groups. Using an aerobic and aerobic culture swab, the subcutaneous tissue will be sampled to look for the presence of bacterial growth. With the goal of monitoring temperature, temperature will be measured at the start of surgery, multiple times throughout the procedure, at the end of surgery, and up to 1 hour after surgery. Standard warming techniques will be used during surgery for all patients in the study. All patients will be housed post-surgery in temperature-controlled wards. Patient incisions will be assessed at 2 weeks for normal healing.
• Cost: The study will cover the cost of materials used to assess patient dryness. All other costs of the surgery will be the responsibility of the client.
• Study Contact: If you would like to be considered for the study, please call the UF Small Animal Hospital to schedule an appointment for your dog with the Surgery Service at (352) 392-2235. For other questions regarding the study, please complete the Study Interest Form.
• PI: Kathleen M. Ham, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVS-SA

Background:

During surgery, the natural defense mechanisms to maintain body temperature are diminished. As a result, temperature regulation can be disrupted resulting in hypothermia (low body temperature) under anesthesia. Addressing hypothermia is critical because multiple scientific studies in people have shown complications linking hypothermia to postoperative outcomes.

Surgical drapes are routinely used during surgery to maintain sterility while also contributing to passive warming. The 3M Ioban 2 Antimicrobial Incise Surgical Drape (commonly referred to as Ioban) is an example of an adhesive surgical drape that is readily available, fairly inexpensive, and has multiple benefits in regards to reducing contamination. Due to the adhesive properties of these surgical drapes, they may also decrease wetness and decrease the risk of hypothermia.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of Ioban in dogs undergoing abdominal surgery to determine if 1. Ioban can help maintain normal body temperature alongside the use of routine active warming devices and if 2. Ioban reduces surgical site complications. Because Ioban usage is already implemented by surgeons the addition or absence of this device will not provide a substantial change to the surgical procedure. There are no known adverse effects of using barrier drapes such as Ioban. This research is important to address anesthesia-induced hypothermia to provide better patient care and reduce postoperative complications.