In the study, a group of 7,699 adult patients admitted to general medicine units were bathed daily with CHG cloths for the duration of their admission. The control group was a group of 7,102 patients who were bathed with soap and water. Through the study, bathing was performed by certified nursing assistants. The two percent CHG cloths were kept in dedicated warmers and used according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. The study found a 64 percent decrease in the risk of acquiring an infection from either methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus.
The researchers call for further studies on this easily adopted method of providing care to patients in non-ICU settings in order to continue to reduce healthcare-associated infections throughout the country.
Read the news release about CHG cloths.
Read other coverage about chlorhexidine gluconate.
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