A randomized trial of alcohol 70% versus alcoholic iodine 2% in skin disinfection before insertion of peripheral infusion catheters

Skin disinfection before insertion of peripheral infusion catheters is standard practice, but a comparison in effectiveness of the two most widely used disinfectants is lacking. We compared alcohol 70% and alcoholic iodine 2% in a prospective randomized trial. Data from 109 patients on a pulmonary ward were analysed. Phlebitis occurred six times in the alcohol group and 12 times in the iodine group. This relative risk reduction of 53% failed to reach significance (P=0.18). The power of the study, however, was only 0.55, meaning a 45% chance of missing a true difference. As countless catheters are inserted each year, a small difference in phlebitis rate could save discomfort to many patients. Thus, a larger trial seems warranted. The addition of theophylline to the prednisone infusion resulted in a significantly higher phlebitis rate: 27.3 versus 9.2% (P=0.03).