A recent investigation funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), part of the Department of Health and Human Services, demonstrated that using a chlorhexidine bathing routine in nursing homes can significantly help thwart severe infections. The study also showed a reduction in antibiotic-resistant organisms like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
This groundbreaking research is a response to a dire need with millions of people residing in America’s nursing homes every day becoming highly susceptible to healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) such as MRSA, bloodstream and urinary tract infections. These not only lead to hospital admissions, but sadly, many deaths each year. The chlorhexidine bathing practice, or decolonization, offers an effective tool in preventing such infections among nursing home residents, hence reducing the rate of hospital transfers.
In a comprehensive 18-month study involving 28 nursing homes in California, the implemented decolonization bathing routine led to a substantial decrease in the prevalence of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) such as MRSA, vancomycin-resistant Enterococci, and other resistant bacteria in the homes that adopted the technique. The antiseptic cleanliness approach didn’t require perfect adherence to be effective – 87 percent of the nursing home staff used the antiseptic soap as prescribed, and 67 percent correctly used the nasal swab.
This research reinforces previous studies that decolonization can be a practical and efficient tool to hinder infections for vulnerable groups in the healthcare system. As a tool for healthcare professionals, AHRQ has also revealed a toolkit that extends the decolonization protocol to non-intensive care unit hospital patients using indwelling medical devices. The published research titled, ‘Nursing Home Decolonization for Infection and Hospitalization Prevention,’ is available for further reference at www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2215254.
Source: https://www.ahrq.gov/news/newsroom/press-releases/chlorhexidine-bathing.html