RCT: Effect of daily chlorhexidine bathing on hospital-acquired infection

Source: N Engl J Med Area: News Single-centre, observational studies have suggested that daily bathing of patients with chlorhexidine may prevent hospital-acquired bloodstream infections and the acquisition of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs).   This multicentre, randomised trial evaluated the usefulness of bathing with chlorhexidine to reduce the risks of MDRO acquisition and hospital-acquired bloodstream infection among patients at high risk for health care-associated infections. It was conducted at nine intensive care and bone marrow transplantation units in six hospitals and involved 7727 patients. The units were randomised to bathe patients either with no-rinse 2% chlorhexidine- impregnated washcloths or with non-antimicrobial washcloths for a 6-month period, exchanged for the alternate product during the subsequent 6 months. The incidence rates of acquisition of MDROs and the rates of hospital-acquired bloodstream infections were compared between the two periods.   The following ...
Source: NeLM - News - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: news