Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T06:09:06.275Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Wiping Is Inferior to Rubbing: A Note of Caution for Hand Hygiene With Alcohol-Based Solutions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 January 2018

Jérôme Ory ,
Walter Zingg ,
Marlieke E. A. de Kraker ,
Hervé Soule  and
Didier Pittet
Jérôme Ory
Affiliation:
Service d’Hygiène Hospitalière du Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire, Clermont-Ferrand, France Infection Control Program and WHO Collaborating Center on Patient Safety, University of Geneva Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland.
Walter Zingg*
Affiliation:
Infection Control Program and WHO Collaborating Center on Patient Safety, University of Geneva Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland.
Marlieke E. A. de Kraker
Affiliation:
Infection Control Program and WHO Collaborating Center on Patient Safety, University of Geneva Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland.
Hervé Soule
Affiliation:
Infection Control Program and WHO Collaborating Center on Patient Safety, University of Geneva Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland.
Didier Pittet
Affiliation:
Infection Control Program and WHO Collaborating Center on Patient Safety, University of Geneva Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland.
*
Address correspondence to Walter Zingg, MD, Infection Control Program, University of Geneva Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, Rue Gabrielle Perret-Gentil 4, 1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland ([email protected]).
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

We evaluated whether hand wiping is noninferior to hand rubbing in reducing the bacterial concentration on hands. In 20 healthy volunteers, hand wiping with or without an alcohol-based solution was inferior to hand rubbing with an alcohol-based solution. This finding warrants a note of caution for the application of wipes in health care.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:332–335

Type
Concise Communications
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 39 , Issue 3 , March 2018 , pp. 332 - 335
Copyright
© 2018 by The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. All rights reserved 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

PREVIOUS PRESENTATION: This report was presented at the 4th International Conference on Prevention and Infection Control (ICPIC), Geneva, Switzerland, on June 22, 2017 (abstract no. O27).

References

REFERENCES

1. Pittet, D, Allegranzi, B, Boyce, J. The World Health Organization Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care and their consensus recommendations. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2009;30:611–622.Google Scholar
2. Boyce, JM, Pittet, D. Guideline for hand hygiene in health-care settings. Recommendations of the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee and the HICPAC/SHEA/APIC/IDSA Hand Hygiene Task Force. MMWR Recomm Rep 2002;51:1–45, quiz CE1–4.Google Scholar
3. Stewardson, AJ, Iten, A, Camus, V, et al. Efficacy of a new educational tool to improve Handrubbing technique amongst healthcare workers: a controlled, before-after study. PLoS One 2014;9:e105866.Google Scholar
4. Stewardson, AJ, Sax, H, Gayet-Ageron, A, et al. Enhanced performance feedback and patient participation to improve hand hygiene compliance of health-care workers in the setting of established multimodal promotion: a single-centre, cluster randomised controlled trial. Lancet Infect Dis 2016;16:1345–1355.Google Scholar
5. Larson, EL, Cohen, B, Baxter, KA. Analysis of alcohol-based hand sanitizer delivery systems: efficacy of foam, gel, and wipes against influenza A (H1N1) virus on hands. Am J Infect Control 2012;40:806–809.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6. D’Antonio, NN, Rihs, JD, Stout, JE, Yu, VL. Revisiting the hand wipe versus gel rub debate: is a higher-ethanol content hand wipe more effective than an ethanol gel rub? Am J Infect Control 2010;38:678–682.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7. Oughton, MT, Loo, VG, Dendukuri, N, Fenn, S, Libman, MD. Hand hygiene with soap and water is superior to alcohol rub and antiseptic wipes for removal of Clostridium difficile . Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2009;30:939–944.Google Scholar
8. Trick, WE, Vernon, MO, Hayes, RA, et al. Impact of ring wearing on hand contamination and comparison of hand hygiene agents in a hospital. Clin Infect Dis 2003;36:1383–1390.Google Scholar
9. Jones, MV, Rowe, GB, Jackson, B, Pritchard, NJ. The use of alcoholic paper wipes for routine hand cleansing: results of trials in two hospitals. J Hosp Infect 1986;8:268–274.Google Scholar
10. European Committee for Standardization. European Standard EN 1500. 1997. European Committee for Standardization. European Norm 1500: Chemical disinfectants and antiseptics. Hygienic handrub. Test method and requirements (phase 2/step 2) Brussels: CEN - Comité Européen de Normalisation; 2013.Google Scholar
11. Bellissimo-Rodrigues, F, Pires, D, Soule, H, Gayet-Ageron, A, Pittet, D. Assessing the likelihood of hand-to-hand cross-transmission of bacteria: an experimental study. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:553–558.Google Scholar