Bathing Study Results
At the University of Colorado Hospital during the months of January-June 2012 all Intensive Care Units, excluding the burn ICU, were a part of a randomized control study led by Mary Beth Makic, who is a Clinical Nurse Specialist whose area of expertise is Evidence Based Practice. The purpose of the study was to better understand how patients in the ICU acquired device related infections, primarily looking at Central Line Acquired Blood Stream Infections (CLABSIs), and Catheter Acquired Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTIs). Members of the Skin Champion team were integral in helping to carry out this study as results were dependent on individual Registered Nurse (RN) and Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) compliance.
During the first three months (January-March) of the study "good bathing" practices were implemented. "Good Bathing" was defined by the University of Colorado Hospital as: patients receiving a daily bath without a bath basin using our foaming body 4:1 cleanser with lotion afterwards. The second three months (April-June) a product called 2% Chlorhexidine Gluconate (CHG) cloths were introduced and used on randomized patients instead of the 4:1 foaming cleanser. CHG is a product typically used for skin preparation before surgery because it provides bactericidal action against a broad spectrum of microorganisms. The purpose of this study was to see if there would be a decrease in CLABSIs and CAUTIs if a stronger antibacterial agent were used daily.
The finding of the study indicated that "good bathing" technique alone decreased CAUTIs and CLABSIs across all ICUs that were involved in the study. After the CHG wipes were implemented, data showed that CAUTIs were decreased to zero across all ICUs. This data was significant, and new practices were to be implemented at the unit level.
As the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit's Skin Champion it was my responsibility to help integrate this Evidence Based Research into our everyday practice.
During the first three months (January-March) of the study "good bathing" practices were implemented. "Good Bathing" was defined by the University of Colorado Hospital as: patients receiving a daily bath without a bath basin using our foaming body 4:1 cleanser with lotion afterwards. The second three months (April-June) a product called 2% Chlorhexidine Gluconate (CHG) cloths were introduced and used on randomized patients instead of the 4:1 foaming cleanser. CHG is a product typically used for skin preparation before surgery because it provides bactericidal action against a broad spectrum of microorganisms. The purpose of this study was to see if there would be a decrease in CLABSIs and CAUTIs if a stronger antibacterial agent were used daily.
The finding of the study indicated that "good bathing" technique alone decreased CAUTIs and CLABSIs across all ICUs that were involved in the study. After the CHG wipes were implemented, data showed that CAUTIs were decreased to zero across all ICUs. This data was significant, and new practices were to be implemented at the unit level.
As the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit's Skin Champion it was my responsibility to help integrate this Evidence Based Research into our everyday practice.