Ecolab Introduces Preoperative Antiseptic Bathing Kit to Reduce Patient Infections

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Ecolab Inc. today introduced its Preoperative Antiseptic Bathing Kit with chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG), a product developed for hospitals to reduce the risk of surgical site infections.

The new bathing kit contains a 4-ounce bottle of Ecolab's Endure(R) 400 Scrub-Stat 4(R), a 4 percent CHG cleansing solution, along with two individually wrapped wipes and an easy-to-read instruction sheet. The kit was designed specifically for hospitals to provide to patients for use in the shower or bath on the night before and the morning of surgery.

Bathing with CHG has been shown to reduce bacteria levels, which can help prevent surgical site infections from occurring and thus help reduce surgical complications. CHG also has excellent antiseptic properties and has been proven to be superior to other preparation products for bacterial decolonization.

CHG rapidly kills transient and resident microorganisms on the skin and is effective against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Additionally, its effectiveness increases with continued use. CHG-containing products provide substantial persistent activity, resulting in significantly reduced bacterial counts for up to 6 hours as described in the 2008 Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) guidelines.

In fact, the new 2008 AORN guidelines call for the use of CHG for preoperative bathing both the night before and the morning of surgery, specifically because 4 percent chlorhexidine gluconate is more effective than povidone iodine or soap, and more than one shower is necessary to achieve maximum antiseptic effectiveness.

Meanwhile, the CDC refers to the application of a preoperative antiseptic bath as strongly supported by some experimental, clinical, or epidemiological studies. As a result, CDC guidelines recommend that hospitals require patients to shower or bathe with an antiseptic agent on at least the night before the operative day.

Source: Ecolab Inc.