To the Editor.—I would like to take issue with several points in the "Editorial Comment" on our recently published article in the Archives.1 Dr Condon states that we have ignored existing data showing that shortened iodophor scrubs are as effective as a ten-minute scrub. Although I am aware of several published articles that document equivalent skin bacterial counts when comparing ten-minute scrubs with shorter scrubs, I have been unable to find published controlled studies documenting equivalent infection rates with shortened iodophor scrubs.
Dr Condon is correct in noting that this study showed that the rate of wound infection increased when incise drapes did not adhere. However, he ignored a major finding of this study, which concluded that all incise drapes are not equal. In fact, polyester Ioban 2 Antimicrobial Film had very reliable adhesion and resulted in low infection rates that were found to be equivalent to the