PVI to Prevent S. Aureus SSI After Fixation of HELEF (POTENT Study) (POTENT)

February 2, 2026 updated by: Loreen Herwaldt

Intranasal Povidone Iodine (PVI) to Prevent Staphylococcus Aureus Surgical Site Infections After Operative Procedures to Fix High-Energy Lower Extremity Fractures (POTENT Study)

The purpose of this study is to see whether applying povidone iodine (PVI) to the noses of patients undergoing lower extremity (leg, ankle, or foot) orthopedic fixation procedures of high-energy lower extremity fractures (HELEF) will decrease the patients' risk of surgical site infections (SSI), particularly those caused by Staphylococcus aureus.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

These patients are at high risk of SSI but given the rapidity with which they need their operations, interventions that take time are difficult or impossible to use in this patient population. This study will involve identifying patients with HELEF and applying PVI to their nares within 60 minutes before their surgical incisions are made and again approximately 12 hours after the first dose. The investigators will abstract information from the patients' medical records about their demographics, underlying illnesses, injury severity, the surgical procedures, and SSI for the 6 months following their operations and the investigators will see them during their routinely scheduled visit at about 6 months to ask them whether they were treated for SSI by providers outside of our system. For patients who do not return for follow up, the investigators will try to contact them to determine if they had signs or symptoms of SSI or were treated for SSI outside of our system.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
2000

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Georgia
      • Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 30303
        • Emory University
    • Indiana
      • Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, 46202
        • University of Indiana
    • Iowa
      • Iowa City, Iowa, United States, 52242
        • University of Iowa
    • Missouri
      • St Louis, Missouri, United States, 63110
        • Washington University
    • Texas
      • Dallas, Texas, United States, 75235
        • University of Texas Southwestern
    • Utah
      • Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, 84108
        • University of Utah

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age > 18 years of age.

  • Is undergoing one or more procedures to address the included fractures listed below for one or more (at least one) HELEF at high-risk for SSI:

    • Open tibia fractures
    • Open femur fractures
    • Open or closed tibial plateau fractures
    • Open or closed tibial pilon fractures
    • Open or closed calcaneus fractures
    • Open or closed talus fractures
    • Open or closed foot fractures of any bone EXCEPT the toes
    • Open fibula fractures
    • Open rotational ankle fractures (malleoli)
    • Open or closed leg fractures associated with compartment syndrome

  • Examples of included procedures:

    • Excisional debridement of open fracture, femur and/or tibia
    • Intramedullary nail, tibia (open injury)
    • Intramedullary nail, femur (open injury)
    • Open reduction Pilon/Plafond fracture
    • Open reduction tibial plateau fracture
    • Open reduction calcaneal fracture
    • Open reduction Lisfranc/metatarsal associated with crush injury
    • Open reduction talus
    • External fixation, lower extremity tibia or femur associated with open fracture or compartment syndrome
    • Fasciotomy, lower extremity for compartment syndrome related to femur, tibia, or foot fracture
    • Lower extremity amputation related to HELEF

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Documented or verbalized sensitivity or allergy to iodine or iodine-based contrast.
  • Known pregnancy in women.
  • Active bacterial infection at the HELEF site.
  • Incarcerated persons.
  • Persons who cannot follow up at the participating site (e.g., people who are homeless at the time of the injury or people with intellectual challenges who lack the social support for follow up visits).
  • Patients with facial fractures or other conditions that preclude nasal swabbing.
  • Patients who do not speak English or Spanish.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Nasal Povidone-Iodine Decolonization Intervention
Intranasal povidone-iodine (PDI Profend) will be applied to the patients' noses 60 minutes before surgery to repair HELEF and approximately 12 hours after the first application. If the patient will have additional HELEF repair in the 6 month followup period, intranasal PVI will be applied in a similar manner for each procedure.
Drug: povidone-iodine topical ointment
Intranasal povidone-iodine will be applied to the lower anterior nares (i.e. nostril) of patients undergoing HELEF orthopedic repair.
Other Names:
  • Profend
No Intervention: Concurrent Control
Standard of Care. This will be usual care at each participating site for subjects enrolled in the Baseline period.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Incidence of Complex (deep incisional or organ space) Staphylococcus aureus surgical site infection (SSI)
Time Frame: within 180 days of the initial surgical procedure for HELEF repair
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) definitions for SSI found in the "Surgical Site Infection Event (SSI)" guide at https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/pdfs/pscmanual/9pscssicurrent.pdf
within 180 days of the initial surgical procedure for HELEF repair

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Incidence of all Staphylococcus aureus SSI
Time Frame: within 180 days of the initial surgical procedure for HELEF repair
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) definitions for SSI found in the "Surgical Site Infection Event (SSI)" guide at https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/pdfs/pscmanual/9pscssicurrent.pdf
within 180 days of the initial surgical procedure for HELEF repair
Incidence of all Complex SSI
Time Frame: within 180 days of the initial surgical procedure for HELEF repair
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) definitions for SSI found in the "Surgical Site Infection Event (SSI)" guide at https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/pdfs/pscmanual/9pscssicurrent.pdf
within 180 days of the initial surgical procedure for HELEF repair
Incidence of cellulitis involving the surgical site
Time Frame: within 180 days of the initial surgical procedure for HELEF repair
Cellulitis is a common bacterial skin infection that causes redness, swelling, and pain in the infected area of the skin surrounding the surgical site of the HELEF repair.
within 180 days of the initial surgical procedure for HELEF repair
Incidence of all gram-negative Complex SSI
Time Frame: within 180 days of the initial surgical procedure for HELEF repair
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) definitions for SSI found in the "Surgical Site Infection Event (SSI)" guide at https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/pdfs/pscmanual/9pscssicurrent.pdf
within 180 days of the initial surgical procedure for HELEF repair
Clavien-Dindo assessment of postoperative complications scores
Time Frame: within 180 days of the initial surgical procedure for HELEF repair
The Clavien-Dindo assessment grades postoperative surgical complications from 1 to 5, with 5 being the worst outcome. Postoperative courses with no evidence of complications have no grade (a "0" for the purposes of this study). Clavien-Dindo assessment definitions found at: https://www.assessurgery.com/clavien-dindo-classification/
within 180 days of the initial surgical procedure for HELEF repair

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Loreen Herwaldt

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Washington University School of Medicine
Emory University
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
University of Texas
University of Utah
Indiana University
PDI Healthcare

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Loreen Herwaldt, MD, University of Iowa

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 15, 2022

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
May 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 24, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 6, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 10, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
February 4, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 2, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 202109074
  • U54CK000613 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Yes The investigators will submit an electronic version of each peer-reviewed accepted manuscript to PubMed Central to be made publicly available within 12 months of publication. The investigators will respond to requests for restricted public health data sets and ensure responses follow appropriate processes, documentation, and approval.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

Until year 2026

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Upon request

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

Yes

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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