Special scrub cuts infections among patients

Scrubbing trauma ICU patients daily with washcloths soaked in chlorhexidine significantly reduced the risk of infection by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other hospital-acquired infections.

Key findings from The Archives of Surgery report:  

• Patients receiving chlorhexidine baths were significantly less likely to acquire a catheter-related bloodstream infection than those in the comparison group.
• The incidence of VAP was not affected by chlorhexidine baths.
• Patients who received chlorhexidine baths were less likely to develop MRSA VAP.
• The rate of colonization with MRSA and Acinetobacter was significantly lower in the chlorhexidine group than in the comparison group.

(Sources: Advisory Board Daily Briefing, http://advisoryboard.com, March 17, 2010; Archives of Surgery, http://archsurg.ama-assn.org, March 2010)