Highlights
- •The chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing practices of 437 non–intensive care unit patients were evaluated.
- •Self-care, non–intensive care unit patients used CHG bathing products incorrectly 81% of the time.
- •Education and assistance by health care workers improved CHG bathing compliance.
- •Medical record documentation was a reliable tool to track CHG bathing compliance.
Many studies indicate that daily chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing reduces the
risk of hospital-acquired infections. In this study, we found that patient perceptions
can be a barrier to bathing practice, and many independent-care patients do not use
CHG bathing products correctly. Furthermore, electronic medical record documentation
may be a reliable tool to assess CHG bathing compliance.
Key Words
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References
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Ruiz J, Ramirez P, Villareal E, Gordon M, Saez I, Rodriguez A, et al. Daily bathing strategies and cross-transmission of multidrug-resistant organisms: impact of chlorhexidine-impregnated wipes in a multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria endemic intensive care unit. N Engl J Med 2017;45:1069-73.
Article Info
Publication History
Published online: October 12, 2018
Footnotes
Conflicts of interest: None to report.
Identification
Copyright
© 2018 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
