Daily Chlorhexidine Bathing and Hospital-Acquired Infection

Abstract

To the Editor: The benefit of chlorhexidine bathing reported by Climo and colleagues (Feb. 7 issue)1 appears to be a reduction in the rate of bloodstream infections due to coagulase-negative staphylococci. As the authors note, the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) definition of a central-catheter–associated bloodstream infection requires primarily a positive blood culture in patients with a central venous catheter in place within 48 hours before detection. As commensal organisms of the skin, coagulase-negative staphylococci are a common cause of false positive blood cultures. Is it possible that the reduction in hospital-acquired bloodstream infection reported in the study (Table 3 . . .