Does Chlorhexidine Bathing Prevent Central Venous Catheter Bloodstream Infections?

Central line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are associated with higher hospital costs, longer length of stay, and infection-related mortality. As a result, healthcare providers, regulators, and payers have sought ways to prevent these infections, particularly in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. The most effective and well-studied infection-control efforts have focused on the provider. Patient decolonization strategies appear promising but are not as well studied.

Researchers prospectively evaluated rates of CLABSIs, primarily in ICU patients, at five hospitals (1 tertiary and 4 community) during three study phases (about 45,000 patient-days): preintervention (usual bathing without chlorhexidine), active intervention (bathing …