Abstract
Health care-associated infections (HAIs) occur worldwide and affect both developed and developing countries. Hand hygiene, including hand washing (washing hands with plain soap), hygienic hand washing (washing hands with medicated soap) and hygienic hand rubbing (use of antiseptic rubs or solutions) had been recommended as effective in preventing and controlling HAIs. Thus a mini-review was conducted to answer the question is alcohol-based hand sanitizer more effective than standard hand washing with soap and water in bacterial reduction during patient care? Two studies were reviewed which showed statistically significant difference between before and after hand rubbing with alcohol-based and hand washing with soap and water. However bacterial reduction in alcohol-based solution was higher than that of soap and water (0.85 vs 0.58). Keywords: hand hygiene, hand washing, hand rubbing, bacterial reduction DOI : 10.7176/JHMN/67-09 Publication date :October 31 st 2019
Highlights
Health care-associated infections (HAIs) occur worldwide and affect both developed and developing countries (World Health Organisation (WHO) 2009)
Individual studies have shown the effectiveness of both hand washing with antiseptic soap and water and hand rubbing with alcohol solutions (Parienti et al 2002, Rupp et al 2008, Barrera et al 2011, Yeung et al 2011)
23HCWs, assigned hand washing with antiseptic soap and water and hand rubbing with alcohol-based solution to parallel groups in France from June to July 2000
Summary
Health care-associated infections (HAIs) occur worldwide and affect both developed and developing countries (World Health Organisation (WHO) 2009). Individual studies have shown the effectiveness of both hand washing with antiseptic soap and water and hand rubbing with alcohol solutions (Parienti et al 2002, Rupp et al 2008, Barrera et al 2011, Yeung et al 2011). Boyce and Pearson (2003) found that “Compared with soap and water hand washing, these products (alcohol-based, waterless hand sanitizers) require less time to use, can be more accessible than sinks, cause less skin irritation and dryness, and when made widely available within an institution, have been shown to improve hand hygiene practices among HCWs”. In the studies of both Lona et al (2003) and Yeng et al (2011) in the use of alcohol-based sanitizers in a long-term-care facility, the availability of alcohol-based instant sanitizers increased compliance with hand washing among HCWs. Since alcohol hand rub has been shown to be convenient, a review was undertaken to answer the question
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