Evaluation of the antimicrobial properties of an alcohol-free 2% chlorhexidine gluconate solution.

Surgical site infections (SSIs) contribute to morbidity and mortality and increase the costs of patient care. Effective skin decontamination is recommended to reduce the risk of SSI and the transmission of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. A macrodilution broth method and an in vitro time-kill method were used to determine the antimicrobial properties of an alcohol-free 2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) solution against seven bacterial strains, including clinically derived strains of Acinetobacter baumannii and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The CHG solution reduced bacterial counts of drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and community-associated MRSA by 99.9% within three minutes of exposure, and effectiveness was maintained with significant dilutions of the CHG solution.