Hospital-based Animal-Assisted visitation programs are important complementary therapies, but concerns with infection control may challenge the sustainability of these programs. Pilot data suggest that a low-cost chlorhexidine-based intervention targeted to the dogs involved in the visitation programs holds high potential to prevent pathogen transmission during sessions. In this study, the following aims will be tested: 1) To identify program-related risk factors for acquisition of hospital-associated pathogens by pediatric patients during animal-assisted intervention (AAI) sessions during an initial run-in phase of no intervention; 2) To determine the effect of chlorhexidine (CHX)-based interventions on acquisition of hospital-associated pathogens and microbial communities by patients during AAI sessions via a multicenter randomized controlled trial; and 3) To determine whether the specific benefits achieved by the visitation program, i.e. reduction in blood pressure, heart rate and self-reported pain and anxiety, are impacted by the interventions.
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Child MRSA exposure
Timeframe: Baseline through intervention completion, an average of 60 minutes