Implementation of Daily Chlorhexidine Gluconate (CHG) Bathing for Cardiac Surgery Stepdown Inpatients

Problem: Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) result in increased patient morbidity, mortality, length of hospital stays, and utilization of healthcare resources. Inpatient HAIs can be prevented with daily bathing with chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) soap, but HAI risk increases when bathing compliance rates are low. Patient non-compliance plays a significant role in compliance rates as low as 50-70% at this project site. Purpose: The purpose of this project is to implement a protocol for adult inpatient cardiac surgery stepdown patients involving formalized patient education regarding clinical benefits of CHG and standardization of the bathing process. Methods: On an adult inpatient cardiac surgery stepdown unit, all nurses (RNs) and patient care technicians (PCTs) were educated to implement formalized patient education of CHG bathing on patient admission, as well as standardization of the CHG bathing process to improve patient perception of the treatment. The intension to improve patient compliance rates to the daily CHG treatment. Weekly chart audits and data review examined rates of HAI, compliance to dissemination of the educational handouts to all patient admissions, and average CHG compliance rates. Preliminary Results: The plan is to discuss findings in terms of average weekly CHG compliance trends and rates of HAIs during the implementation period, and how they align with rates of compliance to the following process measures: utilization of the bathing checklist during each CHG treatment and distribution of the CHG educational handout to all patient admissions. Preliminary Conclusions: The plan is to discuss if these results are reflective of successfully addressing patient non-compliance factors which lead to low rates of CHG bathing compliance and put patients at higher risk for HAIs.

Author(s): Samantha V. Crisp

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