Routine sterile glove and instrument change at the time of abdominal wound closure to prevent surgical site infection (ChEETAh): a pragmatic, cluster-randomised trial in seven low-income and middle-income countries

Cluster-randomized trial across seven low- and middle-income countries tested whether changing gloves and instruments before abdominal wound closure reduces surgical site infections. Among 13,301 patients, routine changes reduced SSI rates from 18.9% to 16.0%, suggesting this simple intervention should be widely adopted in surgical practice globally.