Antiseptic agents are increasingly used for hand hygiene and skin decolonization as key tools for the prevention of healthcare-associated infections. Chlorhexidine, a divalent, cationic biguanide, has a broad spectrum of activity and is one of the most frequently used topical antiseptic agents. Notably, there are an increasing number of prevalence studies that report reduced levels of susceptib...

BACKGROUND Chlorhexidine showering is frequently recommended as an important preoperative measure to prevent surgical site infection (SSI). However, the efficacy of this approach is uncertain. METHODS A search of electronic databases was undertaken to identify prospective controlled trials evaluating whole-body preoperative bathing with chlorhexidine versus placebo or no bath for prevention o...

Chronic rinsing with chlorhexidine, an oral-antiseptic, has been shown to decrease the saltiness of NaCl and the bitterness of quinine. The effect of acute chlorhexidine on taste has not been investigated. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of acute chlorhexidine rinses on taste intensity and quality of 11 stimuli representing sweet, salt, sour, bitter and savory. All st...

Twenty surgical staff members participated in a clinical trial to compare the microbiology and skin condition of hands when using a traditional surgical scrub (TSS) with a detergent-based antiseptic containing 4% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) and a short application without scrub of a waterless hand preparation (HP) containing 61% ethyl alcohol, 1% CHG, and emollients. The HP was associated wit...

Decolonization measures, including mupirocin and chlorhexidine, are often prescribed to prevent Staphylococcus aureus skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI). The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of high-level mupirocin and chlorhexidine resistance in S. aureus strains recovered from patients with SSTI before and after mupirocin and chlorhexidine administration and to dete...

Chlorhexidine is a widely used antiseptic with a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities. The aim of this research is to develop a chlorhexidine thermosensitive gel as a mouth antiseptic by using lutrol F127 as a gelling agent. Due to its thermosensitive properties, lutrol has a sol-gel transition ability to change from solution stage at low temperature to the viscous gel at high temperature...

Protein expression and fatty acid profiles of biofilm cells of chlorhexidine-tolerant Delftia acidovorans (MIC = 15 µg/ml) and its chlorhexidine-susceptible mutant (MIC = 1 µg/ml) were investigated. The chlorhexidine-susceptible mutant (MT51) was derived from the parental strain (WT15) using Tn5 transposon mutagenesis. The disrupted gene was identified as tolQ, a component of the tolQRAB gene c...

www.thelancet.com Vol 384 October 11, 2014 1345 as 1–2% chlorhexidine in isopropyl alcohol, but we agree with Maiwald and colleagues that adequate studies to support or reject this hypothesis have not yet been done. Chlorhexidine in an alcoholic solution, however, is clearly superior to povidone-iodine for prevention of vascular catheter-related bloodstream infec tion. Maiwald and colleagues ha...

BACKGROUND Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a virulent organism causing substantial morbidity and mortality in intensive care units. Chlorhexidine gluconate, a topical antiseptic solution, is effective against a wide spectrum of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, including MRSA. Objectives To examine the impact of a bathing protocol using chlorhexidine gluconate and ...

BACKGROUND Chlorhexidine is widely used as an antiseptic agent. It is a potentially allergenic substance that can cause severe hypersensitivity reactions. OBJECTIVE We describe six patients who had anaphylactic reactions attributed to chlorhexidine during surgery. These patients were exposed to chlorhexidine in gels, swabs and catheters. MATERIALS AND METHODS Six patients from three UK cent...