In Small Animal Surgery Are Alcoholic Hand Rubs Superior to Scrubbing Brushes and Antimicrobial Soap at Reducing Bacterial Counts?

Alison Claire Mann

doi:10.18849/ve.v1i4.51

DOI

https://doi.org/10.18849/ve.v1i4.51

Abstract

Clinical bottom line

The current literature suggests that the use of alcohol hand rubs provide similar, if not better, reductions in bacteria colony forming units, both immediately after hand antisepsis and in the immediate postoperative period.

References

Chou, P. et al (2016) Antibacterial Efficacy of Several Surgical Hand Preparation Products Used by Veterinary Students. Veterinary Surgery, 45 (4) pp. 515-522 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/vsu.12473

Kampf, G. and Osteomeyer, C. (2005) Efficacy of Two Distinct Ethanol Based Hand Rubs for Surgical Hand Disinfection- a Controlled Trial According to prEN 12791. BMC infectious diseases, Vol 5 (19). http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2334-5-17

Loffler, H. and Kampf, G. (2008) Hand Disinfection: How Irritant Are Alcohols? Journal of hospital infection, 70 (S1) PP. 44-48 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0195-6701(08)60010-9

Parienti, J. J. et al (2002) Hand Rubbing with an Aqueous Solution vs Traditional Surgical Hand Scrubbing and 30 Day Surgical Site Infection Rates: A Randomised Equivalence Study. Journal of the American Medical Association, 288 (6) pp. 722-727 http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.288.6.722

Tanner, J., Swarbrook, S. and Stuart, J. (2008) Surgical Hand Antisepsis to Reduce Surgical Site Infection. [Cochrane Database Systematic Review] [online]. Available from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD004288.pub2/full DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD004288.pub2 [Accessed 1 October 2016]

Verwilghen, D. R. et al (2011) Surgical Hand Antisepsis in Veterinary Practice: Evaluation of Soap Scrubs and Alcohol Based Rub Techniques. The Veterinary Journal, 190 (3) pp. 372-377 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2010.12.020

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