Chlorhexidine bathing and microbial contamination in patients' bath basins

Area of Science:

• Infection Control
• Microbiology
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Patient bath basins are known reservoirs for microbial contamination.
• Previous studies found soap and water basins harbored bacteria, linked to hospital-acquired infections.
• Enterococci and gram-negative organisms were common contaminants in prior research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate bacterial contamination in patient wash basins using chlorhexidine gluconate solution.
• To compare the efficacy of chlorhexidine gluconate versus soap and water in preventing basin contamination.

Main Methods:

• 90 bath basins used for at least 5 days with chlorhexidine gluconate were cultured.
• Standard practice in intensive care units at St Vincent Hospital involved chlorhexidine bathing.
• Bacterial growth was assessed to determine contamination levels.

Main Results:

• Only 4 out of 90 basins (4.4%) showed microbial growth.
• The 4 positive cultures contained gram-positive organisms, primarily coagulase-negative staphylococcus.
• A 95.5% reduction in bacterial growth was observed compared to soap and water use (P < .001).

Conclusions:

• Chlorhexidine gluconate significantly reduces bacterial growth in patient bath basins compared to soap and water.
• This reduction drastically lowers the risk of hospital-acquired infections.
• The findings are particularly crucial for protecting critically ill patients prone to infection.