UC Irvine

Abstract

Background

Higher CHG skin levels may be needed to adequately control infection and transmission of pathogens in the ICU. We assessed whether measurement and feedback of patient CHG skin concentrations could improve CHG bathing quality and identified factors associated with higher CHG skin concentrations.

Methods

We conducted 6 one-day surveys from January 2018 to February 2019 in 7 academic hospital MICUs with established daily CHG bathing. Adults admitted >1 day were assessed for CHG skin levels with a semi-quantitative colorimetric assay using swabbed 25 cm2 areas of anterior neck, axilla, and inguinal skin. Prior to survey 4, results from the first 3 surveys (baseline) were reported to ICU leadership and front-line staff to retrain and reeducate on bathing technique. Feedback of results from prior surveys also occurred before surveys 5 and 6. For statistical analysis, mixed-effects models accounted for clustering of CHG measurements within patients and ICUs. We categorized CHG product type as “cloth” for no-rinse 2% CHG-impregnated cloth and “liquid” for 4% CHG liquid or foam.

Results

In total, 681 of 704 (97%) patients were enrolled. Three ICUs used CHG cloth, 3 ICUs used CHG liquid, and 1 ICU switched from liquid to cloth after the second survey. Median CHG skin concentrations were higher in both the baseline and feedback period for institutions using CHG cloth, as compared with liquid (table). Across all time points, axillary and inguinal regions had higher skin CHG concentrations than the neck (median 39.1, 78.1, 19.5 µg/mL, respectively, P < 0.001). After controlling for age, mechanical ventilation, presence of a central venous catheter, body site, and hours since last CHG bath, institutions that used CHG cloth had a 3-fold increase in adjusted CHG skin concentrations in the feedback period compared with the baseline period (P = 0.001, Figure). There was no significant change in CHG skin concentrations from baseline to feedback period for institutions that used liquid CHG.

Conclusion

CHG skin concentrations on MICU patients receiving daily CHG bathing varied by body site and CHG product type. The use of CHG cloth was associated with higher CHG skin levels, compared with CHG liquid. For ICUs using CHG cloth, feedback of CHG skin concentration results to ICU staff improved CHG bathing quality.

Disclosures

All Authors: No reported Disclosures.