[2] It is also used for cleaning wounds, preventing dental plaque, treating yeast infections of the mouth, and to keep urinary catheters from blocking.

[20][21] Chlorhexidine is active against Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms, facultative anaerobes, aerobes, and yeasts.

[6] Meta-data spanning several decades shows that the efficacy of chlorhexidine (against organisms that cause surgical site infection) has not changed,[26] dispelling concerns over emerging resistance.

Use of a chlorhexidine-based mouthwash in combination with normal tooth care can help reduce the build-up of plaque and improve mild gingivitis.

[27] Its use as a mouthwash has a number of adverse effects including damage to the mouth lining, tooth discoloration, tartar build-up, and impaired taste.

Under the test conditions of the European Standard EN 1499, no significant difference in the efficacy was found between a 4% solution of chlorhexidine digluconate and soap.

[23] In the US, between 2007 and 2009, Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center conducted a cluster-randomized trial and concluded that daily bathing of patients in intensive care units with washcloths saturated with chlorhexidine gluconate reduced the risk of hospital-acquired infections.

The US Food and Drug Administration recommendation is to limit the use of a chlorhexidine gluconate mouthwash to a maximum of six months.

The bactericidal effect is a result of the binding of this cationic molecule to negatively charged bacterial cell walls.

Chlorhexidine topical is sold as Betasept, Biopatch, Calgon Vesta, ChloraPrep One-Step, Dyna-Hex, Hibiclens, Hibistat Towelette, Scrub Care Exidine, and Spectrum-4, among others.

[43] Chlorhexidine gluconate mouthwash is sold as Dentohexin, Paroex, Peridex, PerioChip, Corsodyl and Periogard, among others.