2025/05/01 by Yi‐Chen Lin, Hao‐Yun Chang, Hui‐Ji Lin +5 · 1 voice
Health Professions · Medicine · #Central Venous Catheters and Hemodialysis #Nosocomial Infections in ICU #Infection Control in Healthcare
paper · doi:10.1111/nicc.70049
openalex publication_date 2025/05/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/18
BACKGROUND: Daily chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing may reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) in critically ill patients, but evidence remains inconclusive, particularly regarding long-term effects and varying frequencies of use. AIM: This study aimed to examine the association between different CHG bathing frequencies and CLABSI rates in medical intensive care units (MICUs). STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective analysis was conducted in three MICUs in northern Taiwan from March 2018 to June 2022. One MICU implemented daily CHG bathing for 21 months, followed by every-other-day CHG bathing for 30 months, while two MICUs used water and soap as standard care. CLABSI rates per 1000 central line days and other clinical outcomes were compared. RESULTS: Across 46 409 central line days and 5482 admissions, 357 CLABSI events were recorded. No significant difference in CLABSI rates was found between the CHG and standard care groups (IRR = 1.1, p = 0.36) or between the different CHG bathing frequencies (IRR = 0.68, p = 0.06). Other clinical outcomes showed no significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: CHG bathing, whether daily or alternate-day, was not significantly associated with lowering CLABSI rates in MICU. The association may vary depending on hospital-specific conditions and infection profiles. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: CHG bathing should not be regarded as a universal infection control strategy in ICUs. It should be evaluated within the context of each ICU's specific conditions and infection prevention strategy.