Modifying the risk: Once-a-day bathing at risk patients in the intensive care unit with chlorhexidine gluconate

Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) decreases hospital-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that can cause colonization and infection. A standard approach is the bathing of all patients with CHG to prevent MRSA transmission. To decrease CHG utilization, this study assessed selective daily administration of CHG bathing to intensive care unit patients who had an MRSA-positive result or a central venous catheter. This risk-based approach was associated with a 72% decrease in hospital-acquired MRSA transmission rate. Copyright (C) 2014 by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved