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An In-Use Evaluation of an Alcohol-Based Pre-Surgical Hand Disinfectant

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Elizabeth A. Bryce ,
Darlene Spence  and
Frederick J. Roberts
Elizabeth A. Bryce*
Affiliation:
Division of Infection Control/Medical Microbiology, Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Darlene Spence
Affiliation:
Division of Infection Control/Medical Microbiology, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Frederick J. Roberts
Affiliation:
Division of Infection Control/Medical Microbiology, Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Division of Infection Control/Medical Microbiology, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
*
Division of Infection Control/Medical Microbiology, JPN1111-899 West 12th Ave, Vancouver Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z1M9, Canada
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Abstract

Objective:

To determine whether alcohol hand disinfection is an effective alternative to traditional agents for the pre-surgical scrub.

Design:

A prospective clinical trial of a 70% isopropanol pre-surgical hand disinfectant.

Setting:

The operating room suites at two hospital sites in British Columbia.

Methods:

Cases were selected to evaluate both short and longer procedures. The hand disinfectant was compared to agents in current use as surgical scrubs (4% chlorhexidine and 7.5% povidone-iodine). Surgical technique and glove use were not modified. Pre- and postoperative fingertip impression and “glove-juice” cultures were used to determine microbial burden, and hands were evaluated for skin integrity.

Results:

There was no statistical difference between the microbial hand counts following use of the alcohol-based product or the current agents, for cases less than 2 hours' duration. Comparison of longer surgical cases revealed significantly better pre- and postoperative culture results with the alcohol hand rinse, but analysis of matched pairs showed no significant difference in microbial counts. The alcohol hand rinse was equivalent to the operative scrub in terms of skin integrity and user acceptability.

Conclusion:

An alcohol hand rinse was equivalently effective in reducing microbial hand counts as the traditional pre-surgical scrub, both immediately after hand disinfection and at the end of the surgical procedure.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 22 , Issue 10 , October 2001 , pp. 635 - 639
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2001

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