Eficacia comparada del digluconato de clorhexidina vs ácido hipocloroso en evolución de heridas quirúrgicas de caninos en dos veterinarias de Guayaquil.

Abstract

Surgical site infection represents one of the main challenges in the postoperative period of veterinary medicine, delaying the healing process and compromising clinical success. This study provides a comparative basis to guide the selection of the most appropriate antiseptic for the postoperative management of wounds. The objective was to compare the efficacy of 0.5 % chlorhexidine digluconate and 0.022 % hypochlorous acid in the healing of clean surgical wounds in dogs. The sample included 84 dogs from the Zamora and El Hasky 4 veterinary clinics, classified according to wound length (< 5 cm, 5–10 cm, > 10 cm) and distributed into two treatment groups. Healing was evaluated on postoperative days 0, 4 and 8 using a clinical scale for erythema and exudate, and the healing time was also recorded. The study had a quantitative, experimental, and cross-sectional design. Comparisons between groups were performed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with a significance level of p < 0.05. The results showed the hypochlorous acid presented a better clinical evolution in reducing erythema and exudate, whereas chlorhexidine digluconate achieved a higher percentage of early healing across all wound length categories. Although no statistically significant differences were detected, the findings suggest that the choice of antiseptic may influence the speed and resolution of clinical signs during wound healing.