Effect of daily chlorhexidine bathing on reducing infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms in intensive care unit patients: A semiexperimental study with parallel controls.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of daily bathing by chlorhexidine bathing on multidrug-resistant organisms in ICU, especially on carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB), carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA), and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE).

METHODS: Semiexperimental study which employed both precontrols and a parallel control was conducted. In the intervention period (from July 1 to December 31, 2016), strengthened infection control measures and daily bathing with 2% CHG-impregnated wipes once daily was performed in the ICU. Fifty-seven non-ICU wards with the occurrence of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) infections during the same time were selected as parallel control group (only CHG bathing was not performed). The net effect of the 2% CHG daily bathing was evaluated by the difference in difference (DID) model.

RESULTS: The DID model analysis showed that CHG bathing reduced the incidence of CRAB- and CRPA-caused infections in ICU by 1.56 and 2.15 cases/1000 patient days, and bathing of every 19 patients (95CI% 13 to 41) and 39 patients (95CI% 24 to 110) were able to prevent one case of HAIs of total MDROs and CRPA, respectively. However, CHG bathing showed no effect on MRSA, VRE, and CRE (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Daily bathing with 2% CHG-impregnated wipes can reduce HAIs caused by CRAB and CRPA, while it is not effective for the prevalence of infections caused by MRSA, VRE, and CRE.