Reducing Hospital-Acquired Infections
Erin Salinas, RN
Western Governors University
D219: Scholorship in Nursing Practice
Tabatha Mauldin,PhD, RN,CHP
Janurary 9, 2026
B.
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in adult ICU patients result in elevated morbidity
and mortality rates, prolonged hospitalizations, antibiotic resistance, and increased healthcare
expenditures. These infections increase the risk of patients developing central line–associated
bloodstream infections (CLABSI), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), and
multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) infections. This means they have to stay in the ICU and
hospital longer, have more problems and deaths, and take more antibiotics and experience more
side effects. Not preventing our patients from hospital-acquired infections would result in
increased hospital expenses, increased resource use, hospital penalties, more work for nurses,
and dangers to the hospital's reputation and patient safety outcomes, all of which are
repercussions on the organization.
, B1.
P : Adult patients in the ICU.
I : Taking a bath every day with 2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG)
C : Washing with soap and water on a regular basis
O : A lower number of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), like CLABSI, CAUTI, and
MDROs
B2.
Does bathing patients every day with 2% chlorhexidine instead of regular soap and water
lower the number of hospital-acquired infections (HAI)?
C.
1. Background / Goal
Chang et al. (2025) conducted a study to evaluate the efficacy of daily 2% CHG bathing
in adult ICU patients in reducing the incidence of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and
multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), addressing ongoing concerns about ICU-acquired
infections in the context of inconsistent existing data. The researchers sought to determine
whether bathing in CHG could inhibit infections.
2. Methodology
This study utilized a prospective before-and-after (pre–post) approach in a single adult
ICU, assessing HAI outcomes before the introduction of the CHG regimen and following its
execution. There was no simultaneous randomization or control group; the comparison was made
to a historical control period during which individuals showered with soap and water.
Additionally, a systematic review and meta-analysis by Chang et al. (2025) was also
included to place the findings of this study within the current collection of evidence. That review
compiled information from several studies conducted in ICUs that examined the effectiveness of
bathing with 2% CHG in reducing the incidence of HAIs, including bloodstream infections and
Erin Salinas, RN
Western Governors University
D219: Scholorship in Nursing Practice
Tabatha Mauldin,PhD, RN,CHP
Janurary 9, 2026
B.
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in adult ICU patients result in elevated morbidity
and mortality rates, prolonged hospitalizations, antibiotic resistance, and increased healthcare
expenditures. These infections increase the risk of patients developing central line–associated
bloodstream infections (CLABSI), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), and
multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) infections. This means they have to stay in the ICU and
hospital longer, have more problems and deaths, and take more antibiotics and experience more
side effects. Not preventing our patients from hospital-acquired infections would result in
increased hospital expenses, increased resource use, hospital penalties, more work for nurses,
and dangers to the hospital's reputation and patient safety outcomes, all of which are
repercussions on the organization.
, B1.
P : Adult patients in the ICU.
I : Taking a bath every day with 2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG)
C : Washing with soap and water on a regular basis
O : A lower number of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), like CLABSI, CAUTI, and
MDROs
B2.
Does bathing patients every day with 2% chlorhexidine instead of regular soap and water
lower the number of hospital-acquired infections (HAI)?
C.
1. Background / Goal
Chang et al. (2025) conducted a study to evaluate the efficacy of daily 2% CHG bathing
in adult ICU patients in reducing the incidence of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and
multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), addressing ongoing concerns about ICU-acquired
infections in the context of inconsistent existing data. The researchers sought to determine
whether bathing in CHG could inhibit infections.
2. Methodology
This study utilized a prospective before-and-after (pre–post) approach in a single adult
ICU, assessing HAI outcomes before the introduction of the CHG regimen and following its
execution. There was no simultaneous randomization or control group; the comparison was made
to a historical control period during which individuals showered with soap and water.
Additionally, a systematic review and meta-analysis by Chang et al. (2025) was also
included to place the findings of this study within the current collection of evidence. That review
compiled information from several studies conducted in ICUs that examined the effectiveness of
bathing with 2% CHG in reducing the incidence of HAIs, including bloodstream infections and
