title: Impact of chlorhexidine bathing on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus incidence in an endemic chronic care setting: A randomized controlled trial.
abstract: We postulated that bathing with 2% chlorhexidine-impregnated antiseptic washcloths could reduce methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) incidence among chronic care patients compared with nonantiseptic bathing. A total of 122 patients on 3 hospital units were enrolled in a 12-month, cluster-randomized, open-label, controlled trial, with 8 patients becoming MRSA positive. The 2% chlorhexidine-impregnated antiseptic washcloths reduced incidence by 71% (0.1 vs 0.44 cases per 1,000 patient days) (P = .14; Fisher exact). The detected difference was not statistically significant because of a low number of observed events.
authors.affiliation: Infection Prevention and Control, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada. Electronic address: camirov@baycrest.org.
authors.forename: Chingiz M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Amirov
authors.affiliation: Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Malcolm A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Binns
authors.affiliation: Infection Prevention and Control, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Latha E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.affiliation: Infection Prevention and Control, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Heather L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Candon
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001494:Baths / Q000379:methods*; D002710:Chlorhexidine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D002710:Chlorhexidine
keywords: Chlorhexidine bathing; Chronic care; MRSA