I. Applicability

All preoperative adult patients in VVWH II. Purpose Surgical site infections are associated with significant patient morbidity and mortality and are the third most frequently reported health care-associated infection. A suggested risk reduction strategy has been the preadmission shower or skin cleansing with chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG). Although older clinical trials question the clinical efficacy of cleansing with CHG, recent evidence-based scientific and clinical studies support two types of CHG application (i.e., a 2 % CHG-coated cloth or 4 % CHG soap) using a standardized, timed process before hospital admission as an effective strategy for reducing the risk of postoperative surgical site infection2,3,4. The purpose of this guideline is to: A. Reduce the risk of post-operative surgical site infection (SSI) by removing soil and transient microorganisms from the skin. B. Reduce the resident microbial count to sub pathogenic levels in a short period of time and to minimize tissue irritation. C. Inhibit rapid rebound growth of microorganisms