What do systematic reviews say?

Chlorhexidine 0.2% vs Normal saline

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Irrigants for non‐surgical root canal treatment in mature permanent teeth 2012 · Cochrane All outcomes
  no estimate extracted
  0 studies
  No studies found

Bathing of the critically ill with chlorhexidine vs bathing with soap and water or non‐antimicrobial washcloths

• Chlorhexidine bathing of the critically ill for the prevention of hospital‐acquired infection 2019 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  5 studies · 6365 participants
  Very low

Chlorhexidine (vaginal wash or gel/cream) vs placebo or no treatment

It is very uncertain whether chlorhexidine (vaginal wash or gel/cream) changes adverse (mild) effects in the mother compared with placebo or no treatment (very low certainty).

• Vaginal chlorhexidine during labour to prevent early‐onset neonatal group B streptococcal infection 2014 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 8.5 [1.6, 45.28]
  3 studies · 1066 participants
  Very low

Chlorhexidine (vaginal wash or gel/cream) vs placebo or no treatment

• Vaginal chlorhexidine during labour to prevent early‐onset neonatal group B streptococcal infection 2014 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  no estimate extracted
  3 studies · 1066 participants
  GRADE not reported

Sodium hypochlorite 1% with chlorhexidine 2% final rinse vs Sodium hypochlorite 1% with normal saline final rinse

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Irrigants for non‐surgical root canal treatment in mature permanent teeth 2012 · Cochrane All outcomes
  no estimate extracted
  0 studies
  No studies found

Chlorhexidine (mouthrinse or gel), as part of oral hygiene care vs placebo or usual care

• Oral hygiene care for critically ill patients to prevent ventilator‐associated pneumonia 2020 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Adverse effects: information from 2 studies; one stated there were none, the other reported mild reversible irritation of the oral mucosa; very low certainty. There was a lack of evidence about adverse effects.
  2 studies
  Very low

Antiseptic mouthwash (e.g. chlorhexidine) vs Another topical agent or placebo

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Topical treatments for HIV‐related oral ulcers 2012 · Cochrane All outcomes
  No studies were included in this review. A total of 233 abstracts were retrieved; 25 were selected as potentially eligible but all were excluded (10 reported systemic rather than topical treatment; 3 non‐RCTs; 6…
  0 studies
  No studies found

Chlorhexidine dressing following alcohol cleansing vs polyurethane dressing following aqueous povidone‐iodine cleansing

Chlorhexidine dressing following alcohol cleansing probably leads to higher adverse effects: contact dermatitis compared with polyurethane dressing following aqueous povidone‐iodine cleansing (moderate certainty).

• Antimicrobial dressings for the prevention of catheter‐related infections in newborn infants with central venous… 2016 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
  RR 43.06 [2.61, 710.44]
  1 study · 670 participants
  Moderate

Chlorhexidine mouthrinse (any concentration; 0.05% to 0.2%) used in conjunction with mechanical oral hygiene procedures vs Placebo/control mouthrinse, or no mouthrinse (mechanical oral hygiene alone); controls pooled (protocol's separate comparisons versus mechanical oral hygiene alone and versus placebo/control merged)

• Chlorhexidine mouthrinse as an adjunctive treatment for gingival health 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
  SoF narrative row (Other adverse effects): 22 trials reported at least 1 adverse effect apart from extrinsic tooth staining and calculus formation in the chlorhexidine rinse arms. The adverse effects most commonly…
  22 studies
  GRADE not reported