J Korean Biol Nurs Sci.  2018 Feb;20(1):38-46. 10.7586/jkbns.2018.20.1.38.

Effects of Daily Chlorhexidine Bathing on the Acquisition of Multidrug-resistant Organisms and Healthcare-associated Infection in an Intensive Care Unit

• Lee JY
• Jeong JS
• Kim MY
• Park SH
• Hwang YH

• KMID: 2438563
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.7586/jkbns.2018.20.1.38

Abstract

PURPOSE
The aim of this study was to verify the effects of daily 2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing on the acquisition of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) and healthcare-associated infection (HAI) in a medical intensive care unit (MICU).
METHODS
The study was a randomized controlled group posttest only design, involving 91 patients in MICU at a tertiary hospital (47 patients in the experimental group and 44 patients in the control group). The 2% CHG bathing was performed daily according to bathing protocol to the patients in the experimental group, and traditional bath was performed every three days to those in the control group. Fisher's exact test and χ² test were used to analyze the data.
RESULTS
MDRO were found in 6 patients of the experimental group and in 15 patients of the control group. The difference was statistically significant (p=.016). HAI occurred in 2 patients of the experimental group and in 7 patients of the control group. The difference was not statistically significant (p=.084).
CONCLUSION
The results confirmed that daily bathing with CHG was effective in reducing the incidence of MDRO acquisition. Therefore, it is expected that daily bathing with CHG will be used as an effective nursing intervention to reduce the incidence of MDRO acquisition.

Keyword

Intensive care units; Chlorhexidine; Baths; Antimicrobial drug resistances; Cross infection

MeSH Terms

Baths*
Chlorhexidine*
Critical Care*
Cross Infection
Drug Resistance, Microbial
Humans
Incidence
Intensive Care Units*
Nursing
Tertiary Care Centers
Chlorhexidine