A couple of days before a surgery, your care team may ask you to bathe with CHG, or chlorhexidine gluconate.
CHG is a special antiseptic cleanser that you'll use to clean your skin, especially the area on your body where the surgery will happen.
CHG comes in a bottle as a liquid or as disposable wipes.
The labels will usually say chlorhexidine gluconate.
CHG can prevent any bacteria on your skin from getting into your body.
This special cleansing reduces the risk of an infection, including at the surgical site and where a CVAD— also known as a central I.V. line— goes into your body.
Follow your care team's directions for using the CHG.
Depending on what your doctor asked you to do, you may need to take 1 to 3 showers.
This may include 1 shower 2 days before the surgery, 1 shower the night before the surgery, and 1 shower the morning of the surgery.
Before you get into the shower, have a timer, a clean, soft towel, and clean pajamas or clothes within reach.
Also be sure your bed has clean, fresh sheets.
Here's how CHG bathing with liquid in a bottle is typically done.
If you plan to wash your hair, wash it first with your normal shampoo.
Rinse your hair and body completely.
Now turn off the water or step away from the shower's stream so you can apply the CHG soap where it won't get rinsed off.
When applying CHG, try not to get it in your eyes, ears, nose, or mouth or in your genital or rectal areas.
Starting from the jaw down, lather your body with the CHG.
Take about 5 minutes to gently wash your body.
Wash the area where your surgery will be performed last, and give that area extra attention.
Now that you have CHG on your body, wait about 2 minutes before rinsing off.
This is when you might use a timer.
After the 2 minutes, turn the shower back on and rinse your body well.
After using CHG, do not wash with your regular soap.
Pat your body dry with the towel, and then put on your clean clothes or pajamas.
On the day of the surgery, after bathing with CHG, do not shower, rinse off, or bathe.
And do not put on any lotions, powders, deodorants, perfumes, or makeup.
Now, if your care team gave you CHG wipes, here's how to use them.
You can shower or bathe first, but wait an hour before you use the CHG wipes.
You'll use 1 wipe for each area of the body.
You will need a total of 6 wipes.
And remember, try not to get the CHG in your eyes, ears, nose, or mouth or in your genital or rectal areas.
Spend 20 seconds on each part of your body in this order.
First, start at your neck, wiping your neck, chest, and belly.
Now get a new wipe.
Beginning with your shoulders, wipe both arms, front and back, and then end at the fingertips.
Remember to wipe your armpits.
With another new wipe, wipe both hips, followed by your groin.
Wipe your outer buttocks.
Remember to avoid the genitals and the rectal area.
Plan to use a new wipe for each leg.
Beginning at your thigh, wipe your leg, including behind your knee.
End at your toes.
Wipe between your toes.
Repeat the same order for the other leg.
Finally, it's time to clean your back with the last wipe.
You may need help to get from the base of your neck all the way down to your waistline.
On the day of the surgery, after using the wipes, do not shower, rinse off, or bathe.
And do not put on any lotions, powders, deodorants, perfumes, or makeup.
After using CHG, your skin may feel sticky or even itchy.
This is normal.
But if you get a rash or your skin gets irritated, let your care team know.
Do not bathe with CHG or use the CHG wipes again.
So that's how to do CHG bathing.
But always follow your care team's directions.
They may want you to do some things a little differently than we've said here.
Using CHG is an important part of preparing for a surgery because it helps reduce the risk of getting an infection.
If you have any questions or concerns, remember that you can always call your doctor.
