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Use the CLEAR Kit to Protect Yourself after Hospitalization
The CLEAR Kit removes antibiotic-resistant bacteria
CLEAR (Changing Lives by Eradicating Antibiotic Resistance) is a proven strategy that uses topical antiseptic soap and nasal ointments to remove antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from the body in order to prevent infections and hospitalizations. The use of topical antiseptic soap or ointments to remove harmful bacteria from the nose and skin surface is called decolonization.
The CLEAR Trial was a large, randomized clinical trial of over 2,000 patients who were known to have MRSA and who were being discharged from a hospital stay for any reason. Patients were randomized to education alone compared to education plus decolonization for the six months following hospitalization. Patients were followed for one year to see the effects on infection and hospitalization.
Compared to education alone, decolonization reduced MRSA infections and associated hospitalizations by 30%. Decolonization also lowered the risk for infection from any bacteria and infection-related hospitalization by 17%. The trial was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in early 2019.
Because of the trial’s success, hospitals and outpatient providers are sending patients home with CLEAR Kits to protect against infections and readmissions after hospital discharge.
Who is the CLEAR Kit for?
The CLEAR Kit is for recently hospitalized individuals who are colonized or infected with MRSA or another antibiotic-resistant organisms.
The year after hospital discharge is a high risk period for infection, especially for individuals who have antibiotic-resistant bacteria on their body. The CLEAR Kit prevents infections by removing potentially harmful bacteria from the skin and nose. Decolonization is widely used in hospitals and before surgery to remove germs and prevent infection.
What is in the CLEAR Kit? (Instructions and Resources)
The CLEAR Kit comes in two versions. The prescription version was used in the trial and is proven to prevent infection and hospitalization due to MRSA and other bacteria. The over-the-counter version was created for ease of use (no prescription required) and uses the same antiseptic body soap and a different nasal swab to clear MRSA from the nose.
The products in the CLEAR Kit should be used for five days, every other week, for the six months following hospital discharge. This means that it is used approximately ten days per month for six months.
Click the links below for more information and instructions.
CLEAR Kit – Prescription Version
- Kit Contents
- 4% chlorhexidine (CHG) antiseptic soap for showering
- Mesh sponge to allow CHG soap to lather
- 0.2% CHG mouthwash
- 2% mupirocin antibiotic ointment for the nose
- Instructions
CLEAR Kit – Over-the-Counter Version
- Kit Contents
- 4% chlorhexidine (CHG) antiseptic soap for showering
- Mesh sponge to allow CHG soap to lather
- 10% povidone-iodine swabs for the nose
- Instructions
What can I do?
- Patients: Your doctor may recommend using the CLEAR Kit to protect yourself after hospitalization. Use the above detailed instructions on how to use the CLEAR Kit.
- Hospitals: At the time of hospital discharge, provide the CLEAR Kit to your patients who have MRSA or other antibiotic-resistant bacteria on their body to protect them from future infection and hospitalization in the year following discharge. The kit should be provided regardless of whether patients are infected with MRSA at the time of discharge or only colonized (have the bacteria on the body but are not infected). CLEAR Kit instructions are available in editable format for you to download and modify as needed.
- Outpatient Providers: Recommend the CLEAR Kit to your recently hospitalized patients who have MRSA or other antibiotic-resistant bacteria on their body to prevent infection and hospitalization. CLEAR Kit instructions are available in editable format for you to download and modify as needed.
