The Effect of Bacterial Decolonization Before Skin Cancer Surgery on Infection Rate of Lower Extremity Wounds Left Open to Heal

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if reducing bacterial load on the skin and nostrils with topical antibacterial soap and ointment, respectively, reduces rate of infection in surgical sites on lower leg wounds left open to heal in adults undergoing skin cancer surgery.

The main question it aims to answer is:

Does Hibiclens antibacterial skin cleanser and mupirocin ointment applied to nostrils prior to surgery lower the number of times participants develop an infection in their open wound on the lower leg?

Researchers will compare the treatment group to the standard of care, which involves no treatment prior to surgery, to see if topical antibiotics applied prior to surgery affect infection rates between the two groups.

Participants randomized to the treatment group will:

• Shower with Hibiclens (Chlorhexidine Gluconate Solution 4% w/v) once daily for 5 days prior to the day of surgery
• Apply 2% mupirocin ointment to the nostrils twice daily for 5 days prior to the day of surgery
• Come into the office for their skin cancer surgery. They will be provided with standard wound care instructions, which entails daily gentle cleansing with soap/water, pat dry, then apply Vaseline, nonadherent gauze, and paper tape.
• Send pictures of their surgical site at 2-week and 4-week post-operation, which will be monitored for signs of infection by the study physicians.
• If there's a concern for infection, they will come into the office to swab the wound site to determine the cause of infection. If there's no concern for infection, they will not need to return to the office.

Participants randomized to the control group (standard of care) will:

• NOT apply the topical antibacterials prior to the day of surgery
• Come into the office for their skin cancer surgery. They will be provided with standard wound care instructions, which entails daily gentle cleansing with soap/water, pat dry, then apply Vaseline, nonadherent gauze, and paper tape.
• Send pictures of their surgical site at 2-week and 4-week post-operation, which will be monitored for signs of infection by the study physicians.
• If there's a concern for infection, they will come into the office to swab the wound site to determine the cause of infection. If there's no concern for infection, they will not need to return to the office.

Inclusion criteria

• Age at least 18 years old
• Scheduled to undergo surgical treatment for skin cancer on the lower extremities and have no other surgeries scheduled in the coming weeks after the procedure
• Will have a surgical wound that will be left open to heal by secondary intention

Exclusion criteria

• Age under 18 years old
• Have a known allergy to chlorhexidine or mupirocin
• Have a history of Staphylococcus aureus infection
• Have a history of heart valve or joint replacement surgery requiring pre-operative antibiotics