Conditions: Cross Infection Pneumonia, Ventilator-associated Catheter-related Infections Infection Due to Indwelling Urinary Catheter Surgical Wound Infection
Keywords: nosocomial infection hospital acquired infection chlorhexidine pneumonia, ventilator-associated catheter-related infections urinary tract infections, catheter-related surgical site infection
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 350
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
This prospective, randomized, controlled trial will compare the incidence of nosocomial infections (composite of primary bloodstream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia, and surgical site infections) that occur in intensive care unit (ICU) patients bathed with 2% chlorhexidine solution versus patients who receive standard bathing (soap and water or non-medicated cloths).

Detailed description:
Upon study enrollment, patients will be randomized to one of two study arms. Patients in study arm one will receive standard bathing (soap and water or non-medicated cloth) daily. Patients in study arm two will receive a 2% chlorhexidine bath on study day 1 and every 48 hours and a standard bath (soap and water or non-medicated cloths) on study day 2 and every 48 hours. Patients will be followed until ICU day 28 or discharged from the surgical ICU.

Hypothesis: Compared to standard daily bathing, chlorhexidine-based bathing on ICU admission and every 48 hours will decrease the incidence of nosocomial infections.

Arms:
arm 1: Upon study enrollment, patients will be bathed with a 2% chlorhexidine gluconate solution on study day 1 and every 48 hours until study completion. The patient will be bathed using standard bathing (non-medicated cloths or soap and water) on study day 2 and every 48 hours after that. arm 2: Upon study enrollment, patients will be bathed using standard bathing (non-medicated cloths or soap and water) daily.

Interventions: intervention 1: Chlorhexidine gluconate intervention 2: Standard bathing
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Chlorhexidine gluconate 2% solution applied topically for full body bathing once every 48 hours intervention 2: The patient will be bathed using standard bathing (non-medicated cloths or soap and water) daily.

Protocol document: