569. Evaluation of a Povidone-Iodine Preparation for Nasal Decolonization of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

BACKGROUND: Mupirocin is commonly used for nasal decolonization of Staphylococcus aureus, but it has limitations including frequent emergence of resistance and non-adherence due to the need for repeated applications. Povidone-iodine is increasingly used as an alternative for nasal decolonization because it has a low propensity for emergence of resistance and rapid in vitro antibacterial activity. However, limited data are available on the microbiological efficacy of povidone-iodine for suppression of nasal S. aureus. METHODS: We compared the effectiveness of a single application or 5 days of twice daily application of a commercial 10% povidone-iodine preparation vs. phosphate-buffered saline for a reduction in nasal MRSA in methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA)-colonized patients (9–11 per treatment group). Nasal swabs were collected for quantitative culture of MRSA before and at 1, 6, 12 and 24 hours after the single application or before each dose for the 5-day regimen. Analysis of variance was used to compare MRSA colony counts in povidone iodine vs. control patients. RESULTS: The concentrations of MRSA in the nares were similar for povidone-iodine and control group patients prior to treatment. As shown in the figure, the single application of povidone-iodine resulted in a statically significant reduction in nasal MRSA in comparison to controls at 2 and 6 hours after treatment (P10 colonies per swab). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that single preoperative applications povidone-iodine could be useful for short-term suppression of S. aureus during the perioperative period. Additional studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy of the povidone-iodine preparation for MRSA decolonization when used at more frequent dosing intervals or in combination with chlorhexidine bathing. [Image: see text] DISCLOSURES: All authors: No reported disclosures.