[Comment] Rethinking decolonisation for individuals with cancer: lessons from the emergence of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis in intensive care units

The Article by Sara Sharaf and colleagues in The Lancet Microbe challenges a cornerstone of modern infection control—universal chlorhexidine decolonisation—revealing an unintended consequence with profound implications for cancer care. Their finding that universal decolonisation in Scottish intensive care units (ICUs) paradoxically increased meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE) infections by selecting for multidrug-resistant strains should trigger immediate re-evaluation of decolonisation protocols in oncology settings.