Using Alcohol for Hand Antisepsis: Dispelling Old Myths

Boyce, John M.

doi:10.1086/501784

Cited by 89 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 39 publications

(23 reference statements)

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“…Yet in the epidermis there are interoceptors [23][24][25] which are stimulated by the alcohol, resulting in a burning sensation, but not in further irritation 11) . The problem of burning sensations tends to be the pre-irritated skin, leading to an impaired epidermal barrier, rather than the irritation caused by alcohol, which is somewhat of an old myth 26) . The burning sensation after alcohol application suggests to the user that their skin barrier is seriously impaired and that measures regarding secondary prevention should be promptly instigated.…”

Section: Clinical Symptoms Of Occupational Hand Dermatitis Due To Hanmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevention of Irritant Contact Dermatitis among Health Care Workers by Using Evidence-Based Hand Hygiene Practices: A Review

Kampf

Löffler

2007

INDUSTRIAL HEALTH

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Irritant contact dermatitis is often found on the hands of healthcare workers and is generally caused by frequent hand washing, gloves, aggressive disinfectants or detergents. Alcohols have only a marginal irritation potential, although they may cause a burning sensation on pre-irritated skin. A burning sensation when using alcohols therefore, suggests that the skin barrier is already damaged. Two options for hand hygiene are generally available in clinical practice: (1) hand washing with some type of soap and water or (2) hand disinfection with alcohol-based hand rubs. Most clinical situations require the use of an alcohol-based hand rub for decontamination, which is especially useful for reducing the nosocomial transmission of various infectious agents. Washing one's hands should be the exception, to be performed only when they are visibly soiled or contaminated with proteinaceous material, or visibly soiled with blood or other body fluids. The overall compliance rate in hand hygiene is around 50%, which is far too low. In addition, healthcare workers quite often wash their hands with soap and water, when they should use an alcohol-based hand rub. This not only adds to the degree of skin irritation, but is also potentially dangerous for patients, due to the low efficacy of hand washing when compared to hand disinfection with alcohol rubs. Adhering to evidence-based hand hygiene protocols and following international guidelines on hand hygiene practices therefore, can help prevent irritant contact dermatitis among healthcare workers.

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Section: Clinical Symptoms Of Occupational Hand Dermatitis Due To Hanmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevention of Irritant Contact Dermatitis among Health Care Workers by Using Evidence-Based Hand Hygiene Practices: A Review

Kampf

Löffler

2007

INDUSTRIAL HEALTH

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“…Alcohol-based sanitisers (e.g. Sterigel™) are as effective as hand washing (with soap and water) for not visibly soiled hands [8][9][10]. The convenience of alcohol-based sanitisers increases hand washing compliance and reduces healthcare-associated infection rates [6,7].…”

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confidence: 99%

Sub-optimal hand sanitiser usage in a hospital entrance during an influenza pandemic, New Zealand, August 2009

et al. 2009

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“…Not only has alcohol in preparations containing 60-90% alcohol been shown to provide the most effective decontamination for a wide variety of organisms, 6,7 but the use of rub-in gel or liquid preparations has increased compliance with hand-hygiene procedures across hospital staff. 8 The use of alcohol-based products for surgical hand disinfection is less wide-spread although current evidence Internationally, the Centers for Disease Control acknowledges the superior efficacy of alcohols in their Guidelines for Hand Hygiene in Health-Care Settings when compared to more traditional agents such as chlorhexidine gluconate or Povidone-iodine.…”

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confidence: 99%

Clean and Green: Saving Water in the Operating Theatre

Jehle

Jarrett

Matthews

2008

annals

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Ann R Coll Surg Engl 2008; 90: 22-24 22Tw enty years before Louis Pasteur developed the germ theory, Ignaz Semmelweis in Vienna established the practice of washing hands in a chloride solution to prevent puerperal fever. 1 Joseph Lister, who is widely credited for introducing asepsis into surgery, subsequently started sterilising bandages and surgical instruments with steam and used carbolic acid to clean wounds with great success. Today, surgical hand disinfection remains an important part of modern surgical practice.Traditionally, surgical hand disinfection (scrubbing) comprises washing with antimicrobial soap containing water, detergent and an antiseptic agent such as chlorhexidine, iodine, alcohol or a quaternary ammonium compound. The minimum recommended time to ensure disinfection varies between 2-6 min depending on the product used. Alternative alcohol-based hand rub disinfectants can provide superior disinfection 2 when compared to traditional techniques, thus saving a significant amount of water at a time when this resource is in high demand.The objectives of this study were to: (i) quantify water usage of operating theatre staff during surgical hand disinfection and thereby estimate potential water savings in using alternative means of hand disinfection; and (ii) investigate the cost involved in adopting a new hand disinfection technique in our hospital. Materials and MethodsThe number of operations and operating lists over a 1-year period, including the number of scrubbed staff members involved in every procedure, was determined from a prospectively collected theatre database. In order to determine the amount of water and disinfectants used during a scrubbing episode, we undertook a small observational study of 30 scrub episodes in our operating department, collecting data on the time period that taps were running and the number of squirts of soap or alcohol rub used by theatre staff. The volumes of the two traditional antimicrobial soaps used, chlorhexidine gluconate solution 20% (Hibiscrub™, Regent Medical Ltd, Irlam, UK) and Povidone-iodine 7.5% in aqueous solution (Videne ® , Adams Healthcare, Leeds, UK), was measured by then dispensing the soaps into a 50-ml syringe from their standard dispensers. The amount of alcohol rub (Sterillium ® , Bode Chemie, Hamburg, Germany) used to disinfect hands was measured from standard dispensers, again by using a 50-ml syringe. In addition, the There is a growing trend to use alcohol-based hand disinfectants in clinical practice. In addition to their antibacterial efficacy, these disinfectants offer an alternative to traditional surgical hand disinfection agents that can save water in the operating theatre.

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Using Alcohol for Hand Antisepsis: Dispelling Old Myths

Cited by 89 publications

References 39 publications

Prevention of Irritant Contact Dermatitis among Health Care Workers by Using Evidence-Based Hand Hygiene Practices: A Review

Prevention of Irritant Contact Dermatitis among Health Care Workers by Using Evidence-Based Hand Hygiene Practices: A Review

Sub-optimal hand sanitiser usage in a hospital entrance during an influenza pandemic, New Zealand, August 2009

Clean and Green: Saving Water in the Operating Theatre

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