Impact of chlorhexidine bathing on hospital-acquired infections among general medical patients.

Background: A paucity of data exists regarding the effectiveness of daily chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing in non-intensive care unit (ICU) settings.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of daily CHG bathing in a non-ICU setting to reduce methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enteroccocus (VRE) hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), compared with daily bathing with soap and water.

Design: Quasi-experimental study design; the primary outcome was the composite incidence of MRSA and VRE HAIs.