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A No-Rinse Alcohol Antiseptic and a No-Touch Dispenser for Hand Decontamination

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 June 2016

Wendy A. Cronin  and
Dieter H.M Gröschel
Wendy A. Cronin
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia
Dieter H.M Gröschel*
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia
*
Departments of Pathology, Box 168, University of virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908
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Extract

Handwashing has longbeen recognized as the main way to prevent the spread of infectious agents. For routine handwashing in hospitals and clinics, antimicrobial agents are probably not needed. However, in certain high-risk situations it makes sense to use an antimicrobial agent to remove transient and reduce resident microorganisms.

Alcohol has been described as the “gold standard” for surgical skin preparations it will kill gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, Myt obacterium tuberculosis, fungi, and many viruses. Alcohol is colorless, has its own cleaning action, and evaporates quickly from the skin.

Type
Special Sections
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 10 , Issue 2 , February 1989 , pp. 80 - 83
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1989

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References

1. Larson, E: Skin cleansing, in Wenzel, RP (ed): Prevention and Control of Nosocomial Infections. Baltimore, Williams and Wilkins, 1987, pp 250–256.Google Scholar
2. Morton, HE: Alcohols, in Block, SS (ed): Disinfection. Sterilization and Preservation, ed 3. Philadelphia. Lea and Febiger, 1983, pp 225–239.Google Scholar
3. Rutala, WA: Disinfection, sterilization and waste disposal, in Wenzel, RP (ed): Prevention and Control of Nosocomial Infections. Baltimore, Williams and Wilkins, 1987, pp 257–282.Google Scholar