Chlorhexidine Gluconate Bathing Protocol to Prevent MRSA and VRE in Intensive Care Units

OpenAlex Türkçe

Healthcare-associated infections are one of the patient safety problems seen in one out of every 30 patients (3%) under hospital treatment. Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus spp. are among the most important pathogens that cause healthcare-associated infections, especially in patients receiving inpatient treatment in a healthcare institution, regarding antibiotic resistance development. In international guidelines recommendations, wiping/bathing the skin with antiseptic products is essential in preventing and controlling these infections. Patients under treatment in intensive care units are at high risk of infection due to their diseases and invasive procedures performed during their treatment and care. Providing hygienic care for these patients to reduce the risk of infection is one of the nurse’s primary and independent roles, and for these practices, not using standard protocols, not questioning the suitability of the products used, or not using them correctly are among the crucial problems. Chlorhexidine gluconate is an antimicrobial product with proven use safety and effectiveness during patients’ bathing. In this article, the steps of the chlorhexidine gluconate bath protocol, which is important for critical care nurses and includes the necessary interventions for correctly and effectively performing the wiping bed bath given for patients, are presented through a narrative synthesis of the relevant literature.