Bathing every patient in chlorhexidine gluconate decreases the infection rate and cost of numerous healthcare-associated infections, according to a study presented June 12 at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology Conference in Philadelphia.
To conduct the study, researchers implemented CHG bathing of all patients in a Syracuse, N.Y., healthcare system in April 2017 and educated staff about the procedure. They found the bathing reduced central line-associated bloodstream infections by 65 percent, cutting costs by $226,785 at a rate of $17,445 per CLABSI.
Catheter-associated urinary tract infections decreased by 30 percent, MRSA bacteria by 100 percent and Clostridium difficile by 28 percent, according to Healio. The total cost reduction for the health system was about $515,000 from April 2017 to March 2018. The CHG bathing cost $40,114.