saline placebo-Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center-Staphylococcus aureus colonization

Saline placebo is a pharmacologically inactive solution of sodium chloride in water, utilized as a control arm in clinical research. In the specific trial conducted by the Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, this saline solution was administered as an oral rinse to evaluate the efficacy of 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate for the decolonization of *Staphylococcus aureus* in the oropharynx of children aged 5-17 years. The placebo serves to account for the physical action of gargling and the psychological placebo effect, allowing for a controlled comparison against the active antimicrobial treatment. The study targeted pediatric patients with a history of skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) to determine if reducing oropharyngeal colonization could mitigate recurrent infections.

Other names

saline oral rinseplacebo oral rinse