💉 Intraoperative Wound Irrigation and Infection Prevention Evidence shows that washing surgical wounds with antiseptic solutions, especially aqueous povidone-iodine, can significantly reduce the risk of surgical site infections (SSIs) compared to using saline or no irrigation at all. 💊 Antibiotic irrigation can also lower SSIs, but the benefits are less certain and it raises concerns about antibiotic resistance. 💧 Using saline alone doesn’t seem to significantly reduce infection risk compared