Chlorhexidine Gluconate-Impregnated Washcloths Reduce MRSA Incidence in an Endemic Chronic Care Hospital: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Chronic care and long-term care (CC-LTC) settings are recognized as increasingly large and important reservoirs of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) within the healthcare continuum. Inherent susceptibility of CC-LTC patients to MRSA colonization and their prolonged length of stay create an endemic environment with prevalence approaching 50%, in some cases. We postulated that bathing with 2% chlorhexidine gluconate-impregnated antiseptic washcloths (CHG) could significantly reduce MRSA incidence even in endemic settings, as compared to bathing with non-antiseptic washcloths.