In our never-ending attempt to vanquish healthcare-associated infections, the latest weapon to emerge is chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG). Not that CHG is exactly new: as an antiseptic, it has been around for more than 50 years.Initially a topical disinfectant, CHG has recently crept into numerous other products and devices. We now have not only skin antiseptic solutions but surgical scrub products, bathing cloths, oral rinses, intravenous catheters, topical dressings, and implantable surgical mesh -- all infused with this relatively safe, broad-spectrum antiseptic (Table). Nor is the use of CHG limited to the hospital: CHG is increasingly added as a preservative to cosmetics and other personal care products.

Transferred from: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/726075#vp_1