Dozens of allergic reactions and several baby deaths have been linked to the skin antiseptic chlorhexidine (CHG). Hospitals routinely wipe this chemical on critically ill patients, despite the expense and questionable evidence that it actually works.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting chlorhexidine (CHG) induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with an allergic reaction or anaphylaxis, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
Chlorhexidine (CHG) Baby Wipes Linked to Four Premature Infant Deaths
Experts warned that chlorhexidine (CHG) baby wipes may have caused the deaths of 4 premature infants, including 3 in the U.K. and 1 in the U.S. as of June 2014. Another 29 babies suffered “serious side effects” like chemical burns or allergic reactions after being wiped down with chlorhexidine before a catheter was inserted, according to an investigation by the Daily Mail.
FDA Safety Warning for CHG Side Effects
In 1998, the FDA reported allergic reactions as a rare but serious side effect of the skin antiseptic chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG). In February 2017, the FDA warned about a rapidly-increasing number of cases of allergic reactions to chlorhexidine.
How Many People Were Injured?
The FDA received 52 reports of anaphylaxis from CHG between 1969 and June 2015 — but 43 of those cases (82%) occurred after 2010. It is likely that many more cases were never reported to the FDA.
What is Going On?
The problem may be the growing popularity of nurses bathing patients with CHG washcloths every day to reduce the risk of infections. The practice is fairly expensive and recent studies suggest it does not work.
Does Daily CHG Bathing Work?
The popularity of daily CHG baths was “spurred by several quasi-experimental studies,” according to researchers. One study was published in 2013 by the New England Journal of Medicine.
That study resulted in many hospitals routinely bathing critically ill patients in 2% CHG Cloths every day. Those conclusions were directly contradicted by a far more scientifically-rigorous clinical trial in 2015.
Study: CHG Baths Do Not Reduce Infections
CHC baths did not reduce the rate of hospital-acquired infections in critically ill patients, according to a study at Vanderbilt Medical Center. The results of the randomized controlled clinical trial were published in JAMA in April 2015.
Expensive & Weak Evidence of Effectiveness
The use of 2% chlorhexidine wipes to bathe patients is not well-supported, but it has been incorporated into expert guidelines at many hospitals. Dr. Arthur Wheeler cautioned:
“This is a practice that is going on all across in the country, not at every single hospital, but at many hospitals; it’s reasonably expensive. The scientific evidence that chlorhexidine cloths make a difference was weak.”
Sage 2% CHG Cloths
One of the most popular skin antiseptic wipes is the 2% Chlorhexidine Gluconate (CHG) Cloth sold by Sage Products (Stryker). It is used on a patient’s “Nose to Toes” before a surgery to help reduce the risk of Surgical Site Infections (SSI).
Other Chlorhexidine Skin Antiseptic Products
Prescription-strength oral chlorhexidine products are marketed under the brands Peridex, Periogard, Oris, PerioRx, and Paroex.
Over-the-counter antiseptic CHG products include wipes, body wash, topical solutions, sponges, swabs, and washcloths by these brands:
- Avagard
- Bioscrub
- Brian Care
- CHG Scrub
- ChloraPrep
- CIDA-Stat
- Dyna-Hex
- Exidine
- Hibiclens
- Hibistat
- Pharmaseal Scrub Care
- Prevantics
What is Anaphylaxis?
Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening whole-body allergic reaction that occurs within minutes. It requires emergency treatment with an injection of epinephrine and a trip to the hospital.
Symptoms of Allergic Reactions
- Wheezing, coughing
- Trouble breathing or swallowing
- Dizziness
- Hives or itching
- Swelling of the face, eyes, tongue, lips, or throat
- Loss of consciousness
- Blocked airway
- Cardiac arrest
- Shock (sudden drop in blood pressure)
- Death
Do I have a Chlorhexidine Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting chlorhexidine (CHG) induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with an allergic reaction or anaphylaxis, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Product Liability Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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