Chlorhexidine Bathing Effect on Clostridium Difficile Rates

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Clostridium difficile (C. diff.) infections, whether nosocomial or community borne, may present with profound diarrhea, especially in those patients receiving antibiotics. Based on a preliminary review of hospital data, the investigators have found that these symptomatic c. diff infections occur with a relatively high incidence at Delnor Hospital. Notwithstanding their high mortality, one recent study attributes a near quadrupling of hospitalization costs to c. diff infections. Chlorhexidine baths have been shown in multiple randomized trials to help reduce the incidence of highly virulent pathogens and hospital acquired infections. Further, several studies show a favorable effect of reducing the incidence of c. diff infections by using Chlorhexidine baths on ICU patients. Far fewer studies, however, have focused on the effects of these baths on general medical/surgical wards. This investigation seeks to study the effect of the daily use of 2% Chlorhexidine gluconate wipes in patients on the general medical/surgical wards who are exposed to antibiotics for a suspected or confirmed infection.

Official Title
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Effect of Daily Chlorhexidine Bathing on Clostridium Difficile Rates on the General Medical Floor in Patients Receiving Antibiotics

Conditions
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Clostridium Difficile

Intervention / Treatment
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* Drug: Sage 2% Chlorhexidine Gluconate Cloth Patient Preoperative Skin Preparation


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Prescription of antibiotics for suspected or confirmed infection. Admitted to the 2600 General/Medical ward at Delnor Hospital. Exclusion Criteria: Antibiotics only for surgical prophylaxis Not mentally capable Cannot provide consent in English Pregnant Documented chlorhexidine allergy Patient is a prisoner Health system employee

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| No Intervention: Control<br>Receive the bathing standard of care. | |
| Experimental: Interventional<br>Receive daily bathing with 2% Chlorhexidine gluconate bathing wipes. | Drug: Sage 2% Chlorhexidine Gluconate Cloth Patient Preoperative Skin Preparation<br>* Daily bathing.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Number of participants with Relative Risk of C-diff infection | Study data will cease to be collected after 300 participants have been enrolled or until 12 months have elapsed. Data will be collected and assessed monthly. | up to 12 months | 
| Duration of Hospital stays |  | expected average of six days | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Chlorhexidine bathing