<p>Globally, neonatal mortality rates remain relatively stagnant despite overall progress in reducing under-5 mortality. In regions with highest mortality for neonates, infections account for up to 30%-50% of deaths. In many low and middle income countries (LMICs), births within health care facilities are encouraged as a mechanism to reduce both maternal and neonatal mortality. However, the resulting increased demand for facility births has not been accompanied by comparable increases in capacity for delivering quality care and enhancing the safety of maternal and neonatal patients. Shortages in space, trained staff, and consumable resources have frayed many maternal-neonatal health care settings. To date, there have been limited systematic efforts to improve quality of care, while demands on facilities expand.</p>

<p><strong>OBJECTIVE: </strong>To develop a candidate definition for central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) in neonates with presumed mucosal barrier injury due to gastrointestinal (MBI-GI) conditions and to evaluate epidemiology and microbiology of MBI-GI CLABSI in infants.</p>

<p><strong>DESIGN: </strong>Multicenter retrospective cohort study.</p>

<p><strong>SETTING: </strong>Neonatal intensive care units from 14 US children's hospitals and pediatric facilities.</p>

<p><strong>METHODS: </strong>A multidisciplinary focus group developed a candidate MBI-GI CLABSI definition based on presence of an MBI-GI condition, parenteral nutrition (PN) exposure, and an eligible enteric organism. CLABSI surveillance data from participating hospitals were supplemented by chart review to identify MBI-GI conditions and PN exposure.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>During 2009-2012, 410 CLABSIs occurred in 376 infants. MBI-GI conditions and PN exposure occurred in 149 (40%) and 324 (86%) of these 376 neonates, respectively. The distribution of pathogens was similar among neonates with versus without MBI-GI conditions and PN exposure. Fifty-nine (16%) of the 376 initial CLABSI episodes met the candidate MBI-GI CLABSI definition. Subsequent versus initial CLABSIs were more likely to be caused by an enteric organism (22 of 34 [65%] vs 151 of 376 [40%]; P = .009) and to meet the candidate MBI-GI CLABSI definition (19 of 34 [56%] vs 59 of 376 [16%]; P &lt; .01).</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSIONS: </strong>While MBI-GI conditions and PN exposure were common, only 16% of initial CLABSIs met the candidate definition of MBI-GI CLABSI. The high proportion of MBI-GI CLABSIs among subsequent infections suggests that infants with MBI-GI CLABSI should be a population targeted for further surveillance and interventional research.</p>

<p><strong>BACKGROUND: </strong>Bacteraemia is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in critically ill children. Our objective was to assess whether daily bathing in chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) compared with standard bathing practices would reduce bacteraemia in critically ill children.</p>

<p><strong>METHODS: </strong>In an unmasked, cluster-randomised, two-period crossover trial, ten paediatric intensive-care units at five hospitals in the USA were randomly assigned a daily bathing routine for admitted patients older than 2 months, either standard bathing practices or using a cloth impregnated with 2% CHG, for a 6-month period. Units switched to the alternative bathing method for a second 6-month period. 6482 admissions were screened for eligibility. The primary outcome was an episode of bacteraemia. We did intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analyses. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier NCT00549393).</p>

<p><strong>FINDINGS: </strong>1521 admitted patients were excluded because their length of stay was less than 2 days, and 14 refused to participate. 4947 admissions were eligible for analysis. In the ITT population, a non-significant reduction in incidence of bacteraemia was noted with CHG bathing (3·52 per 1000 days, 95% CI 2·64-4·61) compared with standard practices (4·93 per 1000 days, 3·91-6·15; adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR] 0·71, 95% CI 0·42-1·20). In the PP population, incidence of bacteraemia was lower in patients receiving CHG bathing (3·28 per 1000 days, 2·27-4·58) compared with standard practices (4·93 per 1000 days, 3·91-6·15; aIRR 0·64, 0·42-0·98). No serious study-related adverse events were recorded, and the incidence of CHG-associated skin reactions was 1·2 per 1000 days (95% CI 0·60-2·02).</p>

<p><strong>INTERPRETATION: </strong>Critically ill children receiving daily CHG bathing had a lower incidence of bacteraemia compared with those receiving a standard bathing routine. Furthermore, the treatment was well tolerated.</p>

<p><strong>FUNDING: </strong>Sage Products, US National Institutes of Health.</p>