AUTHOR=Masferrer Emili , Riera-Rodríguez Laura , Farré-Alins Víctor , Vilà de Muga Sandra , Arroyo-Muñoz Francisco-Javier , González-Caro María-Dolores 

TITLE=Randomized controlled trial on healthy volunteers of pharmacokinetic and antimicrobial activity of a novel hydrogel-containing chlorhexidine dressing to prevent catheter-related bloodstream infection

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2023

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2023.1335364

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2023.1335364

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=Introduction: catheter-related blood stream infection (CRBSI) is one of the most relevant complications associated to the use of intravascular catheters. In this context, chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) releasing dressings have been developed to reduce the catheter colonization rate and the risk of infection. The aim of this study is to analyze the release rate of CHG and the antimicrobial activity of a novel CHG-releasing dressing, Oper film® protect CHG, and to compare these parameters to those of the dressing TegadermTM CHG in healthy volunteers.Methods: the study was performed in a cohort of 25 healthy volunteers. Two commercially available chlorhexidine-containing dressings were evaluated and compared in this study, Oper film® protect CHG and Tegaderm TM CHG. The release of CHG and the antimicrobial capacity was determined for one week.Results: HPLC analysis revealed that both dressings have an equivalent CHG release to the skin 2 days and 7 daysafter the placement of the products in the non-disinfected back of the subjects. On the other hand, Oper film® protect CHG and TegadermTM CHG similarly reduced colony forming units (CFU) in cultures obtained from the skin under the CHGcontaining hydrogel compared to control cultures at both 2 days and 7 days (control, 3.95 log10 cfu/cm2; Oper film® protect CHG, 0.11 log10 cfu/cm2; TegadermTM CHG, 1 log10 cfu/cm2). Discussion: data confirm that the recent commercially available dressing Oper film® protect CHG maintains the release of CHG and the antimicrobial activity during at least 7 days, and possesses equivalent drug release and antimicrobial action to TegadermTM CHG.